Rationale. Direct identification of peptides presented within major histocompatibility complexes class I (HLA I) on the surface of tumor cells can be used to develop targeted immunotherapy for ovarian adenocarcinoma.
Objective. To characterize ovarian adenocarcinoma tumor surface antigens presented through HLA I complexes and potentially promising for immunotherapy.
Methods. Immunopeptidomes from postoperative material from patients with ovarian adenocarcinoma were identified using immunoaffinity chromatography followed by chromatograph mass spectrometry analysis.
Results. Using NP-40, five peptides belonging to Cancer-Testis Antigen (CTA) proteins were identified in the immunopeptidedomes from postoperative material from patients with ovarian adenocarcinoma. Three of these peptides, according to the human protein atlas, are indeed not expressed in normal ovarian tissue.
Conclusion. Immunopeptidome analysis allows the identification of peptides related to CTA proteins, but a larger sample of postoperative material from patients with ovarian adenocarcinoma and experimental testing of the immunogenicity of the identified peptides are needed.