Advancing capacity in immunopeptidomics at the University of Dundee - The Bruker AIP platform

Immunopeptidomics identifies peptides naturally presented on the surface of cells by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules, which form the targets recognized by T cells. The discovery of these peptides is central to the development of cancer vaccines and other targeted immunotherapies.

Despite significant technological advances in mass spectrometry technology, sensitivity remains a critical limitation. Comprehensive immunopeptidomics antigen discovery studies often require substantial quantities of primary tissue material, typically obtained from surgical resections, limiting their application to smaller clinical samples.

The Antigen Discovery Group at the University of Dundee has now installed the Bruker AIP timsTOF LC-MS platform, providing a major advance in our immunopeptidomics capabilities. This new technology will enable highly sensitive antigen discovery from limited clinical material, including patient biopsies, allowing us to expand the patient cohorts we can study and advance the translation of immunopeptidomics into clinical research.