Homo-β-amino acid containing MBP(85-99) analogs alleviate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

A Journey to the Conformational Analysis of T-Cell Epitope Peptides Involved in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a serious central nervous system (CNS) disease responsible for disability problems and deterioration of the quality of life. Several approaches have been applied to medications entering the market to treat this disease. However, no effective therapy currently exists, and the available drugs simply ameliorate the destructive disability effects of the disease. In this review article, we report on the efforts that have been conducted towards establishing the conformational properties of wild-type myelin basic protein (MBP), myelin proteolipid protein (PLP), myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) epitopes or altered peptide ligands (ALPs). These efforts have led to the aim of discovering some non-peptide mimetics possessing considerable activity against the disease. These efforts have contributed also to unveiling the molecular basis of the molecular interactions implicated in the trimolecular complex, T-cell receptor (TCR)–peptide–major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or human leucocyte antigen (HLA).

Identifying and Validating Genes with DNA Methylation Data in the Context of Biological Network for Chinese Patients with Graves' Orbitopathy

AIM

This study investigated the association of DNA methylation with Graves' orbitopathy (GO) incidence through a combined analysis in the context of biological network to identify and validate potential genes for Chinese patients with GO.

METHODS

A genome-scale screening of DNA methylation was performed on the peripheral blood sample of six patients with GO and six controls. After extracting differentially methylated regions (DMRs), the study focused on two classes of genes with obviously different methylation levels: low methylated genes (LMGs) and high methylated genes (HMGs). Mutual information was applied to construct LMG- and HMG-regulated networks, and the top 10 LMGs and HMGs were extracted based on the topological properties. Then, 9 candidate genes were extracted to validate their association with GO in an expanded population (48 patients with GO vs. 24 normal controls) using single-cell methylation sequencing.

RESULTS

In the LMG-regulated network, some LMGs displayed a higher degree, such as HIST1H2AL, EFCAB1, and BOLL. Similarly, in the HMG-regulated network, some HMGs, such as MBP, ANGEL1, and LYAR, also showed a higher degree. For validation using an enlarged population, BOLL still displayed the lower methylation level whereas CDK5 and MBP still displayed the higher methylation level in patients with GO in the multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted by age and gender (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

BOLL, CDK5, and MBP are potential genes associated with GO. This study was novel in clinically investigating the relation of these genomic loci with GO. The findings might provide new insights into understanding this disease.

Auto-Reactive Th17-Cells Trigger Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder Like Behavior in Mice With Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Th17-lymphocytes are well known for their deleterious role in autoimmunity. But does the notoriety of this repertoire extend beyond autoimmunity? In the present study we employed experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis as model system to study the role auto-reactive Th17 cells in neuropsychiatric disorders. The mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis exhibited exaggerated grooming activity. The observed behavioral anomaly resembled obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) upon analysis of grooming microstructure, induced grooming, marble burying and nestlet shredding. The observed OCD like behavior was relieved upon Th17 cell depletion; alternatively, it could alone be induced by adoptive transfer of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (35-55) reactive Th17 in B6.Rag1^−/− mice. The observed OCD like behavior was also alleviated upon treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine.

Myelin Basic Protein Citrullination in Multiple Sclerosis: A Potential Therapeutic Target for the Pathology

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a multifactorial demyelinating disease characterized by neurodegenerative events and autoimmune response against myelin component. Citrullination or deimination, a post-translational modification of protein-bound arginine into citrulline, catalyzed by Ca(2+) dependent peptidylarginine deiminase enzyme (PAD), plays an essential role in physiological processes include gene expression regulation, apoptosis and the plasticity of the central nervous system, while aberrant citrullination can generate new epitopes, thus involving in the initiation and/or progression of autoimmune disorder like MS. Myelin basic protein (MBP) is the major myelin protein and is generally considered to maintain the stability of the myelin sheath. This review describes the MBP citrullination and its consequence, as well as offering further support for the "inside-out" hypothesis that MS is primarily a neurodegenerative disease with secondary inflammatory demyelination. In addition, it discusses the role of MBP citrullination in the immune inflammation and explores the potential of inhibition of PAD enzymes as a therapeutic strategy for the disease.