T cell-mediated autoimmune disease due to low-affinity crossreactivity to common microbial peptides.

Journal article

Environmental factors account for 75% of the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Numerous infections have been suspected as environmental disease triggers, but none of them has consistently been incriminated, and it is unclear how so many different infections may play a role. We show that a microbial peptide, common to several major classes of bacteria, can induce MS-like disease in humanized mice by crossreacting with a T cell receptor (TCR) that also recognizes a peptide from myelin...

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Authors: Harkiolaki, M; Holmes, S; Svendsen, P; Gregersen, J; Jensen, LT

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Immunity
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 348-357
• Publication date: 2009-03-01
• DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2009.01.009
• EISSN: 1097-4180
• ISSN: 1074-7613
• Language: English
• Keywords: Peptides; Drosophila; HLA-DR2 Antigen; Bacterial Proteins; Cells, Cultured; HLA-D Antigens; Molecular Mimicry; Mice, Transgenic; Cerebellum; Humans; Cross Reactions; Multiple Sclerosis; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; Models, Molecular; Autoimmune Diseases; Animals; Spinal Cord; Immunohistochemistry; T-Lymphocytes; Mice; Escherichia coli