The study presents a significant advancement in immunopeptidomics, a field that explores the peptides presented by the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) protein, crucial in immune surveillance and immunotherapeutic strategies. The researchers developed a new, automated, and economical workflow named IMBAS-MS (Immunopeptidomics by Biotinylated Antibodies and Streptavidin coupled with Mass Spectrometry) to analyze soluble HLA (sHLA) peptides found in plasma, a potential goldmine for biomarker discovery. This method can quantify over 5,000 HLA class I peptides from just 200 µL of plasma in 30 minutes, showcasing a significant improvement in sensitivity and throughput compared to existing methods. The study revealed that the plasma immunopeptidome of healthy individuals remains stable over a year and correlates strongly between individuals with overlapping HLA types. The technology also detected immunopeptides from various tissues, including the brain, indicating its potential in immunology and precision oncology. The method, which is adaptable and can be applied to cell lysates or biopsy samples, promises to revolutionize disease diagnosis and treatment monitoring, offering a less invasive and more efficient approach to identifying peptides presented by tumor cells.

This study utilized the IonOpticks 15cm Aurora Elite column

Journal Article – Sept 2023 – Biorxiv

Authors

Maria Wahle, Marvin Thielert, Maximilian Zwiebel, Skowronek, Wen-Feng Zeng, Matthias Mann

Title

The potential of plasma HLA peptides beyond neoepitope