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NY-ESO-1: A Cancer/Testis Antigen with High Immunogenic Potential

Cancer/Testis Antigen 1 (NY-ESO-1) is one of the most immunogenic proteins characterized to date and a cornerstone of modern cancer immunotherapy. This small, 180-amino acid protein consists of a glycine-rich N-terminal region and a highly hydrophobic C-terminal region containing the Pcc-1 domain.

Due to its high homology with another cancer/testis antigen, LAGE-1, and its aberrant expression in numerous malignancies (e.g., melanoma, lung, and ovarian cancer), NY-ESO-1 is a primary target for TCR-T cell therapy, cancer vaccines, and immune monitoring.

NY-ESO-1 Canonical Sequence (UniProt: P78358-1)

The following sequence serves as the reference for our peptide designs and epitope mappings:

MQAEGRGTGGSTGDADGPGGPGIPDGPGGNAGGPGEAGATGGRGPRGAGAARASGPGGGAPRGPHGGAASGLNGCCRCGARGPESRLLEFYLAMPFATPMEAELARRSLAQDAPPLPVPGVLLKEFTVSGNILTIRLTAADHRQLQLSISSCLQQLSLLMWITQCFLPVFLAQPPSGQRR

At peptides&elephants, we provide a comprehensive range of high-quality peptides to analyze this antigen, ranging from full-sequence peptide pools to highly specific immunodominant epitopes:

Canonical sequence of NY-ESO-1 and overview over peptides&elephants' NY-ESO-1 peptides and peptide pools

NY-ESO-1 Peptide Pools & Specific Epitopes

NY-ESO-1 Peptide Pool & NY-ESO-1 Sub Peptide Pool

peptides&elephants offers the Human NY-ESO-1 Peptide Pool, which covers the full NY-ESO-1 sequence (43 overlapping peptides). It is a gold-standard tool for antigen-specific T cell stimulation, comprehensive immune monitoring, and the expansion of T cells in clinical research settings.

To meet the demands of high-precision immunology, we also provide the NY-ESO-1 Sub Peptide Pool (>95% HPLC). This specialized selection focuses on 5 immunodominant epitopes (covering residues 94-102, 127-136, 157-165, 157-165 mutant 165V and 158-166), making it the ideal choice for validating TCR-T cell potency and characterizing specific CD8+ effector functions with maximum signal-to-noise ratio.

Why a Peptide Pool?

A peptide pool spanning the full NY-ESO-1 sequence allows broad coverage of epitopes across diverse HLA molecules, triggering both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses.

Synthetic peptides are easier to standardize, more stable, and allow for precise modifications compared to using entire proteins or viral vectors.

Individual NY-ESO-1 epitopes

Research has identified specific regions within the NY-ESO-1 protein that exhibit exceptionally high immunogenicity. These immunodominant clusters are recognized by multiple HLA alleles, making them focal points for cross-reactive studies and vaccine design.

peptides&elephants provides single epitopes that allow you to dissect the immune response within these key regions:

The 86–102 "Hotspot" Cluster

This region is a dense cluster of overlapping epitopes recognized by a wide array of HLA-A and HLA-B alleles. It is frequently used for epitope mapping and studying the hierarchy of T cell dominance.

NY-ESO-1 86–94 (HLA-A*02:01) - RLLEFYLAM: The "gateway" epitope for A*02 populations.
NY-ESO-1_LAGE-2 91-101 (HLA-A*24:02) – YLAMPFATPME: A long, high-affinity undecamer.
NY-ESO-1 93–101 (HLA-B*07:02) – AMPFATPME: A targeted nonamer for B-allele profiling.
NY-ESO-1 94-102 (HLA-B*35:01) – MPFATPMEA: A versatile epitope for multi-allele screening.

The 157–170 "Anchor" Cluster

Arguably the most famous region in cancer immunology, this cluster contains the primary anchor epitopes used in clinical trials worldwide:

NY-ESO-1 157-165 (HLA-A*02:01) – SLLMWITQC: Wild-Type - The global reference for A*02:01 research.
NY-ESO-1 157-165 mutant (HLA-A*02:01) 165V – SLLMWITQV: 165V Analog - An engineered heteroclitic variant for enhanced MHC-binding stability.
NY-ESO-1 158-166 (HLA-A*24:02) – LLMWITQCF: A critical epitope for Asian and Caucasian cohorts (shared with LAGE-1a).
NY-ESO-1 162-170 (HLA-B*15:17) – ITQCFLPVF: Expanding monitoring capabilities to specialized B-alleles.

Specialized Reference Epitopes

Beyond the main clusters, these two epitopes provide essential tools for broader HLA profiling and subdominant response analysis:

NY-ESO-1 108–116 (HLA-A*02:01) – SLAQDAPPL: Central reference epitope for analyzing subdominant T-cell responses.
NY-ESO-1 127-136 (HLA-A*68:01) – TVSGNILTIR: Specific decamer for extending immune monitoring to diverse HLA backgrounds.

Characteristics of Cancer/Testis Antigens (CTAs)

New York Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma-1 (NY-ESO-1) belongs to the family of cancer/testis antigens – a subtype of Tumor-associated Antigens (TAAs). Cancer/testis antigens are normally expressed in germ cells of the testis and placental cells, but can aberrantly be re-expressed in various tumors. Such re-expression lacks immune privilege and can trigger adaptive immune responses. Their strong immunogenicity and tumor-specific expression make cancer/testis antigens high-priority targets for cancer immunotherapy. [1]

Key features of NY-ESO-1, also known as cancer-testis antigen 1B (CTAG1B):

Its expression is typically absent in most normal tissues, which helps reduce the risk of off-target effects in immunotherapy.
NY-ESO-1 is considered among the most immunogenic cancer/testis antigens, eliciting spontaneous humoral (antibody) and cellular (T cell) responses in patients with NY-ESO-1–expressing tumors.
Its re-expression in tumors is thought to be governed by epigenetic mechanisms, such as CpG demethylation.

NY-ESO-1 is detected in a range of cancer types, including melanoma, lung, ovarian, esophageal, breast, bladder, and prostate cancers. In some tumor subtypes, NY-ESO-1 positivity correlates with higher infiltration of CD8⁺ T cells or stronger immune signatures.

New York Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma-1 (NY-ESO-1) belongs to the family of cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) – a subtype of Tumor-associated Antigens (TAAs). Cancer/testis antigens are normally expressed in germ cells of the testis and placental cells, but can aberrantly be re-expressed in various tumors. Such re-expression lacks immune privilege and can trigger adaptive immune responses. Their strong immunogenicity and tumor-specific expression make cancer/testis antigens high-priority targets for cancer immunotherapy. [1]