T Cell Receptor Peptide Therapy Triggers Autoregulation of Experimental Encephalomyelitis

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1989076
• Publication Date: 2006-10-05T22:10:16Z
• Authors: Halina Offner; George A. Hashim; Arthur A. Vandenbark
• Keywords: Immunity, Cellular; Immune Sera; T-Lymphocytes; Molecular Sequence Data; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Peptide Fragments; Autoimmune Diseases; Rats; 3. Good health; Rats, Inbred Lew; Antibody Formation; Animals; Hypersensitivity, Delayed; Amino Acid Sequence; Immunotherapy; Encephalomyelitis

Encephalitogenic T cells specific for myelin basic protein share common V β 8 peptide sequences in their T cell receptor (TCR) that can induce autoregulatory T cells and antibodies that prevent clinical signs of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). It is not known, however, if TCR peptides can treat established disease. To test its therapeutic value, TCR-V β 8-39-59 peptide was injected into rats with clinical signs of EAE. This treatment reduced disease severity and speeded recovery, apparently by boosting anti-V β 8 T cells and antibodies raised naturally in response to encephalitogenic V β 8 + T cells. These results demonstrate that synthetic TCR peptides can be used therapeutically, and implicate the TCR-V β 8-39-59 sequence as a natural idiotope involved in EAE recovery. Similarly, human TCR peptides may be effective in enhancing natural regulation of autoreactive T cells that share common V genes.