Neoantigen Peptides: What They Are and How They Are Used
What Are Neoantigen Peptides?
Neoantigen peptides are short synthetic peptides that contain amino acid changes caused by tumor-specific mutations. Because these mutations are not found in normal (healthy) tissue, neoantigens can be recognized as “non-self” by the immune system.
Neoantigen peptides are widely used in cancer immunology research to study T-cell recognition, evaluate immune responses, and support the development of personalized cancer vaccine strategies.
Why Are Neoantigen Peptides Important?
- Tumor specificity: derived from mutations unique to cancer cells
- Immune targeting: can help identify T-cells that recognize tumor mutations
- Research applications: used in immune screening and epitope validation studies
How Are Neoantigen Peptides Designed?
Neoantigen peptide design typically starts with a list of tumor mutations. Researchers then generate peptides that include the mutated residue and surrounding sequence to test immune recognition.
- Mutant vs wild-type pairs: compare mutated peptides to the original (non-mutated) sequence
- Multiple lengths: design different peptide lengths depending on screening strategy
- Panels: create libraries covering many candidate mutations at once
How Are Neoantigen Peptides Used in Research?
Neoantigen peptides are often screened using assays such as ELISpot or ICS to identify T-cell responses. Peptides may be tested individually or grouped into peptide pools. Positive pools are then deconvoluted to identify the specific reactive peptide.
Use Our Peptide Design Software
To generate formatted neoantigen peptide lists (including mutant vs wild-type panels and export-ready files), use our Peptide Screening Tools:
https://www.biosyn.com/peptidescreeningtools.aspx
The software helps you organize sequences, create panel designs, and export lists suitable for peptide synthesis and screening workflows.