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Department of Neurology

Houston, Texas

BCM neurologists see patients through the Baylor Clinic and some of the world's leading specialty clinics.
Department of Neurology
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Role of Microbial Infection in the Pathogenesis of MS

Principal Investigators

Jingwu Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.
Ying C.Q. Zang, M.D., Ph.D.

Summary

It has long been speculated that viral infections may play an important role in the pathogenesis of MS. The theory is particularly appealing because it links viral infection with autoimmune processes involved in MS through a "molecular mimicry" mechanism. Recent studies suggest that autoreactive T cells are flexible in antigen recognition and are able to cross-react with microbial antigens as long as the key contact residues are preserved. There is new evidence indicating that HHV-6 and chlamydial antigens may be associated with MS. High titers of IgG and IgM to these microbial antigens are found in sera and cerebrospinal fluid, which correlate with clinical activities of MS. Our goal is to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying activation of autoreactive T cells by microbial antigens, such as bacterial superantigens and viral proteins that share sequence homology with myelin autoantigens.

Molecular Mimicry.

Molecular Mimicry.

Selected References

  1. Zhang, J., Vandevyver, C., Stinissen, P., van den Berg-Loonen, E. and Raus, J. 1995. Activation and clonal expansion of human myelin basic protein-reactive T cells by bacterial superantigens. Journal of Autoimmunity 8:1.
  2. Stinissen, P., Raus, J and Zhang, J. 1997. Autoimmune mechanism and new therapeutic strategies in multiple sclerosis. Critical Review of Immunology 17:33.
  3. Kozovska, M., Zang, Y., Aebischer, I., Lou, W., Crowe, P., Boehme, S. and Zhang, J. 1998. T cell responses to an immunodominant epitope of myelin basic protein in patients with multiple sclerosis: structural requirements and clinical implication. European Journal of Immunology 28:1894.
  4. Tejada-Simon, M., Hong, J., Rivera, V.M., Killian, J., Zang, Y., Zhang, J. (2002) Active replication of human herpesvirus-6 correlates with impaired T cell immunity and aberrant antibody responses in multiple sclerosis, Journal of Virology, 76, 6147-6154.
  5. Tejada-Simon, M., Zang, Y., Hong, J., Rivera, V., and Zhang, J. (2003) Cross-reactivity with myelin basic protein and human herpesvirus-6 in multiple sclerosis. Ann. Neurol. 53, 189-197.