Protective autoimmunity: regulation and prospects for vaccination after brain and spinal cord injuries

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 mech...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in molecular medicine 2001-06, Vol.7 (6), p.252-258
Main Authors: Schwartz, Michal, Kipnis, Jonathan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
autoimmuity
Autoimmunity
Brain Injuries - prevention & control
Brain Injuries - therapy
Central Nervous System - injuries
Central Nervous System - metabolism
Central Nervous System - physiology
CNS injury
Humans
Mice
Models, Biological
Optic Nerve - metabolism
Polymers - metabolism
Rats
Spinal Cord Injuries - prevention & control
Spinal Cord Injuries - therapy
Spinal injury
T-Lymphocytes - metabolism
Vaccination
Vaccines
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Summary: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.
ISSN:1471-4914
1471-499X
DOI:10.1016/S1471-4914(01)01993-1