title: Protective autoimmunity: regulation and prospects for vaccination after brain and spinal cord injuries.
abstract: Neuronal degeneration after traumatic injury to the central nervous system (CNS) can be reduced by active immunization or passive transfer of T cells against CNS-associated myelin antigens. We propose that a protective autoimmunity is evoked by CNS insult when non-immunological local protective mechanisms cannot adequately buffer the injury-induced toxicity. The ability of a particular strain to develop a protective autoimmune response appears to be inversely related to its susceptibility to autoimmune disease. We also propose that vaccination with specific CNS-derived'safe' (non-pathogenic) peptides after traumatic CNS insult, and possibly at any stage of chronic neurodegenerative disease, can be used to boost the protective autoimmunity and thereby to reduce further injury-induced damage. Such therapeutic vaccination ensures that the augmented beneficial autoimmunity will be free of accompanying disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100, Rehovot, Israel. michal.schwartz@weizmann.ac.il
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kipnis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000378:metabolism; D011108:Polymers / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D014612:Vaccines
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D014612:Vaccines