Minor histocompatibility antigens represented in HLA-A*02:01 and their search strategies

Minor histocompatibility antigens (MiHAs) are polymorphic peptides on the cell surface derived from self-proteins that are capable to induce an immune response during allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells transplantation. Their presentation occurs in the context of the certain major histocompatibility complex (HLA – human leucocyte antigen) alleles. One of the most common HLA alleles is HLA-A*02:01. Accordingly, for a significant number of donors and recipients pairs, it is possible to use the MiHAs presented in the HLA-A*02:01 as a target for relapsed leukemia therapy. This review discusses the main known MiHAs presented in the context of HLA-A*02:01, their characteristics and approaches used for identification. The described approaches may be used to search for new MiHAs for immunotherapy.