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Review
. 2025 Jan 17;11(1):10.
doi: 10.1038/s41540-024-00482-x.

Immunopeptidomics for autoimmunity: unlocking the chamber of immune secrets

Sanya Arshad #  1   2 , Benjamin Cameron #  1   2   3 , Alok V Joglekar  4   5
Affiliations
Review

Immunopeptidomics for autoimmunity: unlocking the chamber of immune secrets

Sanya Arshad et al. NPJ Syst Biol Appl. .

Abstract

T cells mediate pathogenesis of several autoimmune disorders by recognizing self-epitopes presented on Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) or Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) complex. The majority of autoantigens presented to T cells in various autoimmune disorders are not known, which has impeded autoantigen identification. Recent advances in immunopeptidomics have started to unravel the repertoire of antigenic epitopes presented on MHC. In several autoimmune diseases, immunopeptidomics has led to the identification of novel autoantigens and has enhanced our understanding of the mechanisms behind autoimmunity. Especially, immunopeptidomics has provided key evidence to explain the genetic risk posed by HLA alleles. In this review, we shed light on how immunopeptidomics can be leveraged to discover potential autoantigens. We highlight the application of immunopeptidomics in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Finally, we highlight the practical considerations of implementing immunopeptidomics successfully and the technical challenges that need to be addressed. Overall, this review will provide an important context for using immunopeptidomics for understanding autoimmunity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Considerations for maximizing the likelihood of success of an immunopeptidomics experiment.
Essential components at each steps to consider when designing an immunopeptidomics study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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