Title
Antigen-specific therapies in multiple sclerosis
Author
van Noort, J.M.
TNO Preventie en Gezondheid
Publication year
1998
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis is the major neurological disease of young adults in the western world, affecting about 1 per 1,000. It is characterised by chronic or recurrent lesions of inflammatory damage in the white matter of the central nervous system. Within such lesions, the protective myelin sheath is stripped off axons by infiltrated macrophages which leads to impaired conductivity. The inflammatory process most likely starts by activation of helper T cells directed against local myelin antigens. Currently, efforts are directed at specifically blocking such myelin-reactive helper T cells in order to control the disease. In this chapter, immunological features of multiple sclerosis and the experimental animal model for the disease, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, are discussed. Next, an overview is presented on myelin antigens that have been suggested to play a role as target antigens in MS. Finally, strategics are discussed that arc currently employed to selectively block the activation of T-cells reactive against myclin antigens.
Subject
Health
Antigen-specific theraphy
Autoimmunity
Multiple sclerosis
Adult
Animals
Antigens
Autoantigens
Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental
Humans
Immune Tolerance
Immunotherapy
Lymphocyte Activation
Major Histocompatibility Complex
Models, Biological
Multiple Sclerosis
Myelin Proteins
T-Lymphocytes
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:e81127a7-0cf8-428b-b797-65e8eaab924a
TNO identifier
234438
ISSN
0921-299X
Source
Biotherapy, 10 (3), 237-250
Document type
article