Factors governing the binding and recognition of foreign and self-peptides by MHC class II.
Considerable progress has been made in understanding the basis of T cell recognition and T cell activation. This knowledge has recently been used to modulate T cell activation in animal models of experimental autoimmune disease by two means--selective MHC blockade and peptide-induced tolerance. The use of peptides to interfere with the binding of autoantigenic peptides to MHC requires knowledge of both the class II allele which presents the immunodominant peptide to autoimmune T cells and the identification of peptide analogs that bind with high affinity to that allele. The alternative strategy of peptide-induced tolerance will require identification of the autoantigen and its immunodominant peptides. While the latter approach holds great promise for immunointervention, its wide application will require full knowledge of the mechanisms by which tolerance to self is maintained and how it can be broken.
Cotner
T
T
Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology*
D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D010455:Peptides