Nature Biotechnol. http://doi.org/jsr (2012)

The inactivation of T cells is one route that researchers are taking in their search for therapies to treat autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and airway allergies. In previous studies involving this strategy of inducing tolerance of T cells in disease situations, the pathogenic role of these cells has been exploited. Soluble peptides or peptides linked to white blood cells have primarily been used. These materials, however, have faced numerous challenges in their clinical translation. Now, Getts and colleagues show that peptide antigens coupled to polymeric microparticles can be used to induce T cell tolerance in a mouse model for multiple sclerosis. They show that the peptide-coupled microparticles are able to both prevent the onset of the disease, as well as alter the course of it in mice already affected. The researchers use either poly(lactide-co-glycolide) or polystyrene microparticles and, in light of their stability, ease of preparation and storage, the peptide-coupled microparticles offer practical advantages compared with cell-based therapies.