Enhanced Mass Spectrometry Detection of MHC Peptides.

Mass spectrometry (MS)-based immunopeptidomics (MHC peptides) is a promising approach for neoantigen discovery through searching MS data against patient-specific protein databases built from exome or transcriptome sequences. MS analysis enables mapping of posttranslational modifications that cannot be predicted from genome sequencing alone but can be more efficient in triggering immune responses. Although MS-based immunopeptidomics has demonstrated its potential in discovering neoantigens as vaccine candidates, the problems such as efficient isolation and sensitive detection (identification) of MHC peptides still hinder the application of its clinical application. Herein, we describe a method based on chemical derivatization and LC-MS/MS for the enhanced detection of MHC peptides.