Patients with multiple sclerosis are thought to have more populations of dividing T cells that are stimulated by autoantigens. T cells cloned from MS patients were isolated and tested for reactivity to myelin basic protein. Eleven of the 258 thioguanine-resistant T cells clones from five patients grew in response to human myelin basic protein without prior in vitro exposure. No wild type clones reacted with the myelin basic protein. Therefore, the T cell clones which react with myelin basic protein were taken from the blood of MS patients.
T cells are important in the development of some autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis.
Immunization of animals with myelin basic protein or proteolipid has effects that resemble multiple sclerosis in humans. Encephalitogenic T cells specific for myelin basic protein share common V b 8 peptide sequences in their T cell receptor. These TCRs can induce autoregulatory T cells that can prevent symptoms of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. In this experiment, TCR peptides were used to treat established disease. The treatment reduced the severity of the symptoms and helped speed up recovery as well.