Systematic De-Risking of TCR-Mimic Therapeutics Through Proteome-Wide Off-Target Landscaping and a Generalizable Design Rule Framework

Abstract

TCR-mimic (TCRm) antibodies targeting peptide-human leukocyte antigen (pHLA) complexes enable precision immunotherapy against intracellular antigens, including cancer-testis antigens (CTAs). Achieving high specificity, however, remains challenging because of the vast diversity of the human immunopeptidome and the associated risk of off-target recognition. Here, we introduce ValidaTe, a unified framework for the proteome-scale prediction, validation, and mitigation of off-target liabilities in pHLA-directed therapeutics. ValidaTe integrates rational target prioritization, peptide-centric binder selection, proteome-wide off-target prediction, and therapeutic engineering into a hierarchical de-risking workflow. Using the CTA MAGE-A4 as a proof-of-concept, we identify the TCRm antibodies VR-4 and VR-6 with superior specificity and demonstrate how this workflow enables the discovery of safer pHLA-targeted binders. Furthermore, ValidaTe establishes the basis for the WiFi (Widened Fingerprint) engineering principle, which rationally combines TCRms with complementary off-target fingerprints in trivalent T-cell engagers to minimize unintended interactions while preserving potent target-specific activity. Together, these findings establish a generalizable framework for the rational development of safer and more selective pHLA-targeted therapeutics. We further discuss how orthogonal proteomic characterization may complement this workflow as a final layer of translational safety assessment prior to clinical development.

Preprint server: bioRxiv
The authors list and abstract were imported from bioRxiv on 05 Aug 2026.

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