At the same time, they used artificial intelligence to create 3D models to help them understand and predict which neoantigens could provoke T cells, a type of white blood cell critical to the immune system, to attack the cancer.

Tumor neoantigens are unique mutated proteins in cancer cells. They act like an alarm system, alerting the immune system that cancer cells are a threat. By identifying and characterizing neoantigens, researchers can develop personalized tumor vaccines to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.

The results suggest that both the structural and physical features of neoantigens could play important roles in predicting which ones could be used in cancer vaccines against tumors. The findings were published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer.