Module III. Multiple Sclerosis

Larry Steinman & Annette Gould

Neurology 205, Clinical Neuroscience, Fall Quarter, 2000-2001

In this module you will see a clinical presentation of an MS patient. We will then describe a recent clinical trial using a new form of therapy to change the immune response in MS. The trial had controversial results. We will then show an even more innovative way of manipulating the immune response in an animal model of MS, using DNA vaccination. Finally we will discuss a paper now in press in Science where we have used large scale sequencing of mRNA from MS brain plaques to describe a new molecule involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.

The papers for presentation by Steven Beier, Joe Bergan and Trent Watkins are:

Kappos L, Comi G, Panitch H, Oger J, Antel J, Conlon P, Steinman L and the APL in Relapsing MS Study Group. Induction of a non-encephalitogenic Th2 autoimmune response in multiple sclerosis after administration of an altered peptide ligand in a placebo controlled, randomized phase II trial. Nature Medicine, 6(10)1176-1182, 2000.
 

Garren H, Pedro J. Ruiz, Trent A. Watkins, Paulo Fontoura, Louis-Vu T. Nguyen, Einat R. Estline, David L. Hirschberg, and Lawrence Steinman. Combination of Gene Delivery and DNA Vaccination to Protect from and Reverse Th1 Autoimmune Disease Via Deviation to the Th2 Pathway. Immunity, 1515-22, 2001.
 

Chabas D, Baranzini S, Mitchell D, Bernard CCA, Rittling S, Denhardt, D, Sobel R, Lock C, Karpuj M, Pedotti R, Heller R, Oksenberg J, Steinman L. The influence of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, osteopontin, on autoimmune demyelinating disease. Science, in press.