How Immunopeptidomics is Revolutionizing Cancer Immunotherapy

For decades, the search for cancer targets relied on DNA and RNA sequencing. However, there
is a fundamental “translation gap”: not every mutation identified by sequencing is actually
presented on the cell surface as a target for T-cells. This is where immunopeptidomics cancer
therapy enters the spotlight.
By using high-sensitivity mass spectrometry to identify the specific HLA-bound peptides
presented by tumor cells, researchers can bypass the guesswork of predictive algorithms. At
Alithea Bio, we enable precision TCR therapies by providing the “ground truth” of the tumor
surface. Our workflow identifies not just common antigens, but also the “dark matter” of the
immunopeptidome—peptides derived from non-coding regions that were previously thought to
be “undruggable.”