Endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 function and its pathogenic role in regulating innate and adaptive immunity in cancer and major histocompatibility complex class I-associated autoimmune diseases

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules present antigenic peptides on the cell surface to alert natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T cells for the presence of abnormal intracellular events, such as virus infection or malignant transformation. The generation of antigenic peptides is a multistep process that ends with the trimming of N-terminal extensions in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by aminopeptidases ERAP1 and ERAP2. Recent studies have highlighted the potential role of ERAP1 in reprogramming the immunogenicity of tumor cells in order to elicit innate and adaptive antitumor immune responses, and in conferring susceptibility to autoimmune diseases in predisposed individuals. In this review, we will provide an overview of the current knowledge about the role of ERAP1 in MHC class I antigen processing and how its manipulation may constitute a promising tool for cancer immunotherapy and treatment of MHC class I-associated autoimmune diseases.