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

Abstract

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).

Advances in Multiple Sclerosis Research–Series I

“…Interestingly, the frequency of HLA-DPB1*04 allele was significantly decreased in both patients, with early onset and adult onset MS compared to controls, suggesting a protective role of this allele amongst Greek cohort patients (Figure 1) [7]. Koukoulitsa and colleagues present a nice review articulating the journey of the conformational complex between HLA-peptide with the T cell receptor of agonist peptides and their altered peptide ligands from MBP, MOG and PLP [8]. [7].…”