Tetramer-guided epitope mapping: A rapid approach to identify HLA-restricted T-cell epitopes from composite allergens

Abstract

Tetramer-guided epitope mapping (TGEM) is a technique in immunology that permits the rapid identification of allergenic epitopes through peptide screening procedures utilizing human lymphocyte antigen (HLA) class II tetramers as staining reagents for detection. The identification of allergenic epitopes is a prerequisite for the accurate characterization of allergen-specific CD4+ T cells without in vitro stimulation. Additionally, these MHC-II/peptide complexes that interact with T-cell receptors (TCR) of pathogenic CD4+ T cells are compatible with a different number of assays like Intracelullar Cytokine Staining (ICS), and Carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) making it a robust technology to study the functionality of allergen-specific CD4+ T cells.