MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE IN MAN AND ANIMAL MODELS

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

In this project we are trying to study the cellular and molecular basis of autoimmune diseases with two purposes. First, we want to establish the pathogenic role and antigen-specificity of T cells that cause autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, insulin-dependent diabetes, among others. Second, we would like to determine the feasibility of specific antigen-induced apoptosis as a means of treating such autoimmune diseases. To these ends, we have made progress in the following areas: 1) we have successfully established the marmoset model of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis at the NIH; 2) we found that antigen treatment of the marmoset disease leads to amelioration of clinical, radiological, and pathological indices; 3) we have optimized an assay for detecting T cells that are activated and secrete gamma-interferon in response to myelin protein antigens and have obtained preliminary evidence that such cells are increased in multiple sclerosis patients compared to normal controls.