Return to Abstract Index
Title
Clinical suppression of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis by muramyl dipeptide "adjuvant".
AuthorRoot-Bernstein RS; Yurochko F; Westall FC
Source
Brain Res Bull,
17:
4, 1986 Oct,
473-6
AbstractExperimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a model for several human diseases including multiple
sclerosis and post-vaccinal encephalopathies. EAE is generally thought to be an autoimmune response to
the antigen myelin basic protein (MBP). Oddly, MBP can also suppress EAE, and many observations suggest
that an independent immune response to so-called "adjuvant" material is also necessary to EAE induction.
Thus, EAE may be a result of a pair of interactive immune responses, one against MBP, and one against
adjuvant. If so, the adjuvant should, like MBP, suppress EAE. We present data from experiments on strain
13 guinea pigs demonstrating EAE suppression by muramyl dipeptide, an active component of complete Freund's
adjuvant. These results are striking because classically adjuvants are defined as immunopotentiators,
not immunosuppressants. Our results, therefore, suggest that a revaluation of the role of adjuvants in
inducing autoimmune diseases may be necessary.