T cell receptor usage in neurological disease: the case in multiple sclerosis

With increasing evidence for an immunological mechanism in the cause of multiple sclerosis, the role of the T cell receptor has become increasingly important. Evidence from animals with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) indicates that encephalitogenic T cells may have a restricted usage and that understanding this may lead to specific therapeutic approaches. Although numerous studies have examined the T cell receptor usage in myelin basic protein-specific T cells in humans, the question of restricted usage remains unsettled. Recent evidence evolving from T cell receptor sequences derived from multiple sclerosis lesions is encouraging but the genetic diversity of humans continues to make these areas of research difficult.