[Copaxone is the brand name of Copolymer 1]
Hum Immunol 2001 Aug;62(8):753-63
Fridkis-Hareli M, Stern JN, Fugger
L, Strominger JL.
Department of Molecular and Cellular
Biology (M.F.-H., J.N.H.S., J.L.S.), Harvard University, Cambridge, MA,
USA
Copolymer 1 (Cop 1, poly [Y, E, A, K]) is a random synthetic amino acid copolymer effective in the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease that is linked to HLA-DR2 (DRB1*1501).
In the present study various peptides, synthesized according to the binding motifs for both the immunodominant epitope of myelin basic protein (MBP) 85-99, a candidate autoantigen in MS, and Cop 1, differentially inhibited binding of these antigens to disease-associated HLA-DR2 (DRB1*1501) molecules.
In particular, two peptides with residue K at position P-1, as referred to MBP 85-99, inhibited effectively the binding of both biotinylated MBP 85-99 and Cop 1 to HLA-DR2 molecules as well as IL-2 production by two MBP-specific HLA-DR2-restricted T-cell clones.
These findings suggest the possible utility of these compounds or their more stable derivatives in treatment of MS.
PMID: 11476898 [PubMed - in process]