Are There General Features of How Immune Responses Are Regulated That Can Provide Clues to How Remitting/Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis May Be Treated?

Most basic studies directed at how immune responses are regulated employ chemically “simple antigens”, usually purified proteins. The target antigens in many clinical situations, such as in autoimmunity, infectious diseases and cancer, are chemically “complex”, consisting of several distinct molecul...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Peter Alan Bretscher
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-02-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/5/2726
_version_ 1797264476423061504
author Peter Alan Bretscher
author_facet Peter Alan Bretscher
author_sort Peter Alan Bretscher
collection DOAJ
description Most basic studies directed at how immune responses are regulated employ chemically “simple antigens”, usually purified proteins. The target antigens in many clinical situations, such as in autoimmunity, infectious diseases and cancer, are chemically “complex”, consisting of several distinct molecules, and they often are part of a replicating entity. We examine here the relationships between how immune responses to complex and simple antigens are regulated. This examination provides a context for considering how immune responses are regulated in those clinical situations involving complex antigens. I have proposed and discuss here a mechanism by which immune responses to the envisaged complex target antigen in remitting/relapsing multiple sclerosis go back and forth between inflammatory and non-inflammatory modes, potentially accounting for the course of this disease. This proposal makes predictions that can be tested by non-invasive means. It also leads to a suggestion for simple, non-invasive treatment.
first_indexed 2024-04-25T00:29:30Z
format Article
id doaj.art-e5fd850a3b394183b9ed753157132d59
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1661-6596
1422-0067
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-25T00:29:30Z
publishDate 2024-02-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series International Journal of Molecular Sciences
spelling doaj.art-e5fd850a3b394183b9ed753157132d592024-03-12T16:46:05ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672024-02-01255272610.3390/ijms25052726Are There General Features of How Immune Responses Are Regulated That Can Provide Clues to How Remitting/Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis May Be Treated?Peter Alan Bretscher0Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Heath Sciences Building, 105 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK S5N 5E5, CanadaMost basic studies directed at how immune responses are regulated employ chemically “simple antigens”, usually purified proteins. The target antigens in many clinical situations, such as in autoimmunity, infectious diseases and cancer, are chemically “complex”, consisting of several distinct molecules, and they often are part of a replicating entity. We examine here the relationships between how immune responses to complex and simple antigens are regulated. This examination provides a context for considering how immune responses are regulated in those clinical situations involving complex antigens. I have proposed and discuss here a mechanism by which immune responses to the envisaged complex target antigen in remitting/relapsing multiple sclerosis go back and forth between inflammatory and non-inflammatory modes, potentially accounting for the course of this disease. This proposal makes predictions that can be tested by non-invasive means. It also leads to a suggestion for simple, non-invasive treatment.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/5/2726antibodyB cellsmultiple sclerosisneuroimmunologyneurodegenerationT cells
spellingShingle Peter Alan Bretscher
Are There General Features of How Immune Responses Are Regulated That Can Provide Clues to How Remitting/Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis May Be Treated?
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
antibody
B cells
multiple sclerosis
neuroimmunology
neurodegeneration
T cells
title Are There General Features of How Immune Responses Are Regulated That Can Provide Clues to How Remitting/Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis May Be Treated?
title_full Are There General Features of How Immune Responses Are Regulated That Can Provide Clues to How Remitting/Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis May Be Treated?
title_fullStr Are There General Features of How Immune Responses Are Regulated That Can Provide Clues to How Remitting/Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis May Be Treated?
title_full_unstemmed Are There General Features of How Immune Responses Are Regulated That Can Provide Clues to How Remitting/Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis May Be Treated?
title_short Are There General Features of How Immune Responses Are Regulated That Can Provide Clues to How Remitting/Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis May Be Treated?
title_sort are there general features of how immune responses are regulated that can provide clues to how remitting relapsing multiple sclerosis may be treated
topic antibody
B cells
multiple sclerosis
neuroimmunology
neurodegeneration
T cells
url https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/5/2726
work_keys_str_mv AT peteralanbretscher aretheregeneralfeaturesofhowimmuneresponsesareregulatedthatcanprovidecluestohowremittingrelapsingmultiplesclerosismaybetreated