Purification and Identification of Naturally Presented MHC Class I and II Ligands

The large-scale and in-depth identification of MHC class I- and II-presented peptides is indispensable for gaining insight into the fundamental rules of immune recognition as well as for developing innovative immunotherapeutic approaches against cancer and other diseases. In this chapter we briefly review the existing strategies for the isolation of MHC-restricted peptides and provide a detailed protocol for the immunoaffinity purification of MHC class I- and II-presented peptides from primary tissues or cells.