The 2nd Leader Seminar Series at BSRC Alexander Fleming, entitled “ER aminopeptidase 1: roles in cellular immunity and therapeutic potential”, was delivered by Associate Professor Efstratios Stratikos (Department of Chemistry, University of Athens), who is also an Adjunct Researcher and Group Leader at the National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos.

Date: Friday, January 26, 2026 13:00 pm
Venue: BSRC Fleming Lecture Theatre

Summary:

ER aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) is an intracellular aminopeptidase that enzymatically processes antigenic peptides and their elongated precursors before they can be loaded onto MHC class I molecules for presentation to T lymphocytes. By regulating which peptides are presented, ERAP1 can indirectly regulate adaptive immune responses and is thus a pharmacological target for applications for cancer immunotherapy and HLA-associated inflammatory autoimmunity. ERAP1 is also polymorphic and common allotypes within the human population have distinct enzymatic properties and may contribute to immune variability between individuals. Emerging evidence for the role of ERAP1 polymorphic variation in shaping the cellular immunopeptidome will be presented as well as the development of a novel in vivo tool that can be used to promote our understanding of the therapeutic potential of ERAP1 inhibition.