Melanoma is a relatively common type of skin cancer that arise de novo as a malignant neoplasm in melanocytes (cells that make the pigment melanin). It may begin in a mole but can also begin in other pigmented tissues, such as in the eye or in the intestines. From these tissues, it is likely to invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.
Melanoma patients often mount an unprompted T cell response against melanoma. Despite this initial T cell response, the responder T cells eventually become ineffective, most likely due to a local immunosuppressive process occurring at the tumor sites.
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved immunotherapy drugs to become first-line single or combination treatment for melanoma and some other cancers. These treatments include checkpoint inhibitor drugs ipilimumab (Yervoy®), pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) and nivolumab (Opdivo®) as well as oncolytic virus therapy approved as talimogene laherparepvec (Imlygic®), also called T-VEC.
Common for these treatments is the re-mounting of a T cell response to melanoma antigens. Such T cell specificities for a range of melanoma-associated antigens have been identified using Tetramer assays. These T cell responses include T cells specific for common cancer antigens including melanocyte lineage proteins such as Tyrosinase, gp100, MART-1 as well as Cancer-Testis antigens like the MAGE proteins and NY-ESO-1.
Melanoma-specific Tetramers from Tetramer Shop
Tetramer Shop provides a range of Tetramers for detection of CD8+ melanoma antigen-specific T cells in peripheral blood and in preparations of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs).
Tetramer reagents from Tetramer Shop include Tetramers for detection of T cells specific for antigens derived from MART-1, NY-ESO-1, MAGE-A3, Tyrosinase, gp100 and MAGE-A1 presented in context of MHC molecules HLA-A02:01, HLA-A24:02 and HLA-B07:02.
Relevant melanoma-specific Tetramers – To order Tetramers >> Press here
| Cat. No. | HLA type | Pep. Seq. | Antigen |
| HA02-001 | HLA-A*02:01 | ELAGIGILTV | MelanA / MART 26-35 |
| HA02-002 | HLA-A*02:01 | SLLMWITQV* | NY-ESO-1 157-165 |
| HA02-003 | HLA-A*02:01 | SLLMWITQC* | NY-ESO-1 157-165 (9C) |
| HA02-004 | HLA-A*02:01 | KVAELVHFL | MAGEA3 112-120 |
| HA02-005 | HLA-A*02:01 | YMDGTMSQV | Tyrosinase 369-377 (371D) |
| HA02-006 | HLA-A*02:01 | IMDQVPFSV | gp100 (pmel17) 209-217 |
| HA02-019 | HLA-A*02:01 | ITDQVPFSV | gp100 (pmel) 209-217 |
| HA02-007 | HLA-A*02:01 | KVLEYVIKV | MAGEA1 278-286 |
| HA24-001 | HLA-A*24:02 | AFLPWHRLF | Tyrosinase 188-196 |
| HA24-022 | HLA-A*24:02 | VYFFLPDHL | gp100-intron 4 (170-178) |
| HB07-006 | HLA-B*07:02 | LPWHRLFLL | Tyrosinase 208-216 |
*It has previously been demonstrated that substitution of the cysteine to valine at position 165 (Chen, J.L., et al. 2000. Identification of NY-ESO-1 peptide analogues capable of improved stimulation of tumor-reactive CTL. J. Immunol. 165:948–955.) enhances the ability of the epitope to be recognized in vitro by NY–ESO-1157–165–specific CTL’s.
Therefore some researchers prefer to use the mutated peptide NY–ESO-1157–165 SLLMWITQV over the wild type peptide NY–ESO-1157–165 SLLMWITQC.
Control Tetramers
| Cat. No. | HLA type | Pep. Seq. | Antigen |
| HA02-024 | HLA-A*02:01 | AVIAPVHAV | None natural found |
| HA02-025 | HLA-A*02:01 | GVAGDVSAV | None natural found |
| HA02-014 | HLA-A*02:01 | SLYNTVATL | HIV-1 gag p17 76-84 |
Application of melanoma-specific Tetramers
Tetramers are useful in tetramer protocols for detection, enumeration and isolation of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in a variety of applications e.g. during cancer vaccine – and immunotherapeutic development.
General information about MHC Tetramers from Tetramer Shop
Tetramer Shop supply MHC Tetramers in various test sizes and the colors PE, BV421, BUV395, APC-Cy™7, APC, BV510, BV480, PE-Cy™5, PE-CF594, PE-Cy™7, PerCP-Cy™5.5, PerCP, FITC, BV605, BV650, BV786, APC-R700, BB515 and BUV737. For other colors, please enquire.
Tetramer Shop also supply Empty Loadable Tetramers for instant loading of peptide antigens essentially representing DIY Tetramers.