Microbiota-derived peptide mimics drive lethal inflammatory cardiomyopathy

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aav3487
• Publication Date: 2019-11-15T00:06:31Z
• Authors: Cristina Gil-Cruz; Christian Perez-S...; Angelina De Martin; Francesca Ronchi; Katrien van der B...; Rebekka Niederer; Lucas Onder; Mechthild Lütge; Mario Novkovic; Veronika Nindl; Gustavo Ramos; Markus Arnoldini; Emma M.C. Slack; Valérie Boivin-Jahns; Roland Jahns; Madeleine Wyss; Catherine Mooser; Bart N. Lambrecht; Micha T. Maeder; Hans Rickli; Lukas Flatz; Urs Eriksson; Markus B. Geuking; Kathy D. McCoy; Burkhard Ludewig
• Keywords: Molecular mimicry; Pathogenesis

Peptide mimicry breaks the heart Myocarditis, a prolonged chronic inflammation of muscle, can eventually progress to inflammatory cardiomyopathy, serious condition associated with failure. Activated T helper (T H ) cells that recognize myosin heavy chain 6–derived peptides are thought play central role in this pathogenesis. Using mouse model myocarditis, Gil-Cruz et al. found cardiac myosin–reactive initially primed by myosin-peptide mimics derived from commensal Bacteroides species gut (see Perspective Epelman). Unlike heathy controls, human myocarditis patients also showed detectable immune reactivity both and antigens. Treatment antibiotics dampened responses prevented lethal disease. Science , issue p. 881 ; see 806