In 2019, we introduced a breakthrough targeted proteomics platform enabling direct detection and quantification of cancer neoantigens, demonstrating that carefully optimized assays can reveal previously undetectable therapeutic targets.
Direct Detection of Cancer Neoantigens
In 2019, Qing Wang and collaborators introduced a breakthrough targeted proteomics strategy capable of directly detecting and quantifying cancer neoantigens, providing a powerful new measurement layer for precision immunotherapy.
Over the previous decade, large-scale cancer genome sequencing efforts had revealed thousands of tumor mutations. Many of these mutations were predicted to generate neoantigens—peptides derived from mutant proteins that can be presented on tumor cells and recognized by the immune system. These neoantigens quickly became one of the most promising targets for next-generation cancer immunotherapies, including personalized vaccines and T-cell–based treatments.
However, a major challenge remained: most neoantigen discovery pipelines relied entirely on computational prediction from DNA sequencing data. While genomic algorithms could propose potential neoantigen candidates, there were few technologies capable of verifying whether these predicted peptides were actually produced and presented in human tumors.
Wang’s team addressed this critical gap by developing an ultra-sensitive targeted proteomics workflow capable of directly detecting neoantigen peptides using mass spectrometry. By integrating genomic mutation data with highly specific peptide assays, the method allowed researchers to experimentally confirm and quantify mutation-derived peptides in biological samples.
Transforming Predicted Targets into Measurable Biology
This work demonstrated that neoantigens predicted from cancer genomes could be experimentally validated at the peptide level, transforming computational predictions into measurable molecular evidence.
The approach provided several important advances:
- direct confirmation of mutation-derived peptide expression
- quantitative measurement of neoantigen abundance
- validation of targets for precision immunotherapy
- integration of genomics, proteomics, and immunology
By enabling direct detection of neoantigens, the technology helped bridge the gap between genomic discovery and immunotherapy development.
A New Measurement Layer for Precision Immunotherapy
The ability to measure neoantigens experimentally represented a significant step forward for personalized cancer therapeutics. Instead of relying solely on prediction algorithms, researchers could now verify whether candidate neoantigens truly existed within tumors and quantify their abundance.
This measurement capability is essential for designing effective immunotherapies, where therapeutic success depends on accurately identifying the most relevant targets presented by cancer cells.
Toward the Vision
The development of neoantigen detection technologies also reinforced a broader scientific principle that has guided Wang’s work for many years:
Genomics predicts biological possibilities, but proteomics measures biological reality.
The targeted neoantigen detection strategy introduced in 2019 became the Valid-NEO® platform, and also contributed to the conceptual framework behind the Complete360® platform, which aims to enable ultra-deep measurement of thousands of proteins and peptides across clinical samples.
By transforming predicted genomic signals into experimentally measurable molecular targets, these technologies represent an important step toward building a comprehensive measurement infrastructure for precision medicine.
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