Data was collected from 1800 patients, half with MS and half without. Affymetrix's GeneChip was used to identify and register the genes involved in inflammatory and neuro-degenerative pathways. This comparison study was performed on French, Swedish, and American populations. The next step was scanning 500,000 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). Through this study, the link between MS and HLA was found; although, some unafflicted subjects had 50% of the HLA genes that MS subjects had.

Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a model form of MS that can be induced in mice. Compartive research was performed using the mouse model to observe the effects of myelin basic proteing on EAE in mice.

Figure 13.34. Antigen given orally can lead to protection against autoimmune disease. Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is induced in mice by immunization with spinal cord homogenate in complete Freund's adjuvant (upper panels); the disease is mediated by TH1 cells specific for myelin antigens. These cells produce the cytokine IFN-g (top left photograph, where the brown staining reveals the presence of IFN-g), but not of TGF-b. These T cells are presumably responsible for the damage that results in paralysis. When mice are first fed with myelin basic protein (MBP), later immunization with spinal cord or MBP fails to induce the disease (lower panels). In these orally tolerized mice, IFN-g-producing cells are absent (lower left photograph), whereas TGF-b-producing T cells (lower right photograph, brown staining) are found in the brain in place of the autoaggressive TH1 cells and presumably protect the brain from autoimmune attack. Photographs courtesy of S. Khoury, W. Hancock, and H. Weiner (Immunobiology 2001).

Durr and Kala hard at work in the lab. SCIENCE RULES!!!!