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Molecular mimicry at work?

Girija Muralidhar, Ph.D, Director of Vaccines Program, Virogenics Inc.
Environmental Factors, Neuroinflammatory Responses, Biologic Agents, Neuroimmune Function
Response to News:
New Research: H5N1 influenza virus induces PD-relevant neurodegeneration
View all 6 responses to this News

Dr. Richard Smeyne's new publication in PNAS that influenza infection results in neuronal degenration similar to PD is very interesting.  They demonstrate that neuroinflammation in the absence of viral infection was sufficient to cause neuronal degenration.  Dr. Isacson's response (Responses: 1 Influenza virus triggers Parkinson's like conditions and potential pathology By: Ole Isacson, Harvard)  briefly summarised how inflammatory responses enhance neuronal death.

These observations as well as recent studies by Reynolds et al and Brochard et al who clearly established CD4 T cell contribution (in addition to others) to the progression of PD bring out new ways of looking at PD.  Is there a possibility of viral-induced molecular mimicry in PD?  If so, is there an autoimmune component contributing to neuronal death in PD?  Are the autoantigens derived from altered forms of alpha-synuclien? Many interesting questions with a few answers..

 

Author recognized relevant financial relationship in this content.

Reference: 
Reynolds AD, Stone DK, Mosley LR, Gendelman HE. Nitrated {alpha}-synuclein-induced alterations in microglial immunity are regulated by CD4+ T cell subsets. J Immunol. 2009;182(7):4137-49.
Brochard V, Combadière B, Prigent A, Laouar Y, Perrin A, Beray-Berthat V, et al. Infiltration of CD4+ lymphocytes into the brain contributes to neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Parkinson disease. J Clin Invest. 2009;119(1):182-92.
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