The Future of TCR-like Antibodies in Diagnosis and Potential Application Targets

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA, also known as the major histocompatibility complex or MHC) system, is responsible for immune monitoring of the intracellular proteome of all nucleated cells. The presentation of antigen peptides separates malignant or infected cells from their healthy counterparts and forms aberrant cells tagged as the foundation for identification. Therefore, peptide-MHC molecules can give potential diagnostic targets for cancer or infection. TCR-like antibodies recognize specific peptides that bind to MHC molecules, allowing them to target Such inaccessible cytoplasmic or nuclear tumors or virus-associated antigens. It binds to MHC, presenting peptides found on the surface of target cells. These antibodies have shown promising clinical applications in diagnosing and imaging cancer and infected cells. This review presents the current situation of TCR-like antibodies and its prospects for application in the field of intracellular antigen diagnostics. It also lists the potential application targets of TCR, like antibodies in various disease diagnoses, providing valuable information for developing diagnostic reagents and selecting targets in the future.