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. 2002 Feb 11;9(6):831–838. doi: 10.1016/S0952-7915(97)80186-0

Activation of autoreactive T cells by peptides from human pathogens

Stefan Hausmann a, Kai W Wucherpfennig b,∗
PMCID: PMC7134830  PMID: 9492986

Abstract

Activation of autoreactive T cells is a necessary — but not sufficient — step in the development of T cell mediated autoimmunity. Autoreactive T cells can be activated by viral and bacterial peptides that meet the structural requirements for MHC molecule binding and T cell receptor recognition. Due to the degenerate nature of MHC class II molecule binding motifs and a certain degree of flexibility in T cell receptor recognition, such microbial peptides have been found to be quite distinct in their primary sequence from the self-peptide they mimic.

Abbreviations: CNS central nervous system, EAE experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, EBV Epstein—Barr virus, hsp heat shock protein, MBP myelin basic protein, MS multiple sclerosis, NOD nonobese diabetic, TCR T cell receptor, v variable region

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