SYNTHETIC PEPTIDE SPECIFICITY OF ANTI-MYELIN BASIC PROTEIN FROM MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS CEREBROSPINAL FLUID

摘要

Human basic myelin protein (h-MBP) has a molecular weight of 18.5 KD and contains 170 amino acid residues. Synthetic peptides ranging in length from 8 to 25 residues and covering the entire length of the protein have been produced. Antibodies to h-MBP (anti-MBP) were found to be neutralized by the synthetic peptides, which span the h-MBP from about amino acid residue (61) to about amino acid residue (106). The synthetic peptides, which cover both the amino (about residues 1 to 63) and carboxy (about residues 117 to 162) terminals of h-MBP did not neutralize purified anti-MBP. Accordingly, intrathecal administration of selected synthetic MBP peptides may be used as a treatment for Multiple Sclerosis by neutralizing anti-MBP.