A fully human pan VL9 HLA-E TCRm antibody enables functional dissection of HLA-E biology and checkpoint signaling

iScience 2026 Open access

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Authors: Soroush Ghaffari, Katherine Upchurch, Gizem Oter, Trivendra Tripathi, Susanne Gimlin, Debra D. Wawro, Jim Middelburg, Thorbald van Hall, Jon A. Weidanz
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115669
Cited by: 1
References: 53

Abstract

. Using ABX002, we reveal that canonical VL9/HLA-E surface expression is tightly controlled by inflammatory cues, remarkably infrequent on tumors without stimulation, and almost absent from immune cells except myeloid-lineage cells. ABX002 unlocks cell-type and context-specific quantification of HLA-E antigen presentation, providing unprecedented insight into immune evasion and regulation. It additionally disrupts the NKG2A checkpoint, restoring cytotoxic lymphocyte function and enabling mechanistic and therapeutic mapping of HLA-E restricted peptide presentation. Together, these findings position ABX002 as a transformative tool for dissecting the landscape and biology of canonical peptide restriction in cancer immunity.

Fields of Study & Subjects

CAR-T cell therapy research T-cell and B-cell Immunology Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research

Publication details

Journal / source
iScience
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
29
Issue
5
Pages
115669–115669
Publication date
9 April 2026
Language
EN