Pan-cancer association of HLA gene expression with cancer prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy.

Background: The function of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules is to bind peptide fragments derived from genomic mutations or pathogens and display them on the cell surface for recognition by cognate T cells to initiate an immune response.

Methods: In this study, we provide a comprehensive investigation of HLA gene expression in a pan-cancer manner involving 33 cancer types. We utilised gene expression data from several databases and immune checkpoint blockade-treated patient cohorts.