title: Recombinant T cell receptor ligands: immunomodulatory, neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects suggest application as therapy for multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Recombinant T cell receptor (TCR) ligands (RTL) represent the minimal interactive surface with antigen-specific T cell receptors. These novel constructs fold similarly to native four-domain MHC/peptide complexes but deliver suboptimal and qualitatively different signals that cause a 'cytokine switch' to anti-inflammatory factors in targeted encephalitogenic T cells. RTL treatment can reverse clinical and histological signs of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and most dramatically can promote myelin and axonal recoveiy in the CNS of mice with chronic disease. These properties of RTL suggest that this novel antigen-specific approach may hold unusual promise as a therapy for multiple sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Neuroimmunology Research, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA. offnerva@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Offner
authors.forename: Sushmita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: Chunhe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gregory G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Burrows
authors.forename: Arthur A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Vandenbark
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000187:drug effects*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins