title: Molecular mimicry and multiple sclerosis: degenerate T-cell recognition and the induction of autoimmunity.
abstract: Various mechanisms have been proposed for the initiation of autoimmune responses by autoreactive T-cell clones. One of these, the molecular mimicry hypothesis, postulates that myelin-reactive T-cell clones are activated by foreign antigens. Until recently, sequence homology between self- and foreign antigens was considered necessary for cross-recognition to occur in multiple sclerosis. This article reviews current progress in T-cell receptor immunology that led to modify this view and proposes a role for degenerate T-cell antigen recognition in the induction of autoimmunity.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015551:Autoimmunity; D006801:Humans; D018716:Molecular Mimicry / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*