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Volume 6 Issue 10, October 2000

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an incurable chronic demyelinating disease caused by autoimmunity against the myelin sheath of central nervous system neurons. One therapeutic approach that has garnered much attention is to use altered peptide ligands (APL) to modify the T cell response against myelin proteins. In this issue, Kappos et al. (page 1176) and Bielkova et al. (page 1167) report conflicting results from clinical studies investigating the effect of APL therapies in MS patients. The cover image shows human brain MS lesions visualized by contrast-enhanced axia magnetic resonance imaging scans.

Volume 6 Issue 10

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News & Views

  • Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is linked to the development of Kaposi sarcoma and certain lymphoproliferative malignancies. The main immunogenic latent nuclear antigen of KSHV can form a complex with retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein and transform cells, indicating that the oncogenic activities of KSHV are mechanistically related to the transforming functions of the small DNA tumor viruses (pages 1121–1127).

    • Karl Münger
    News & Views

  • Expression of the uncoupling protein Ucp in skeletal muscle prevents diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. Similar effects are seen in response to increased physical exercise, indicating that pharmacological strategies designed to manipulate energy expenditure can be used to treat obesity and diabetes. (pages 1115–1120)

    • Leslie P. Kozak
    News & Views

  • Investigation into the ability of anti-retroviral therapy and therapeutic immunization in primary simian immunodeficiency virus infection of macaques demonstrates the importance of anti-retroviral treatment in early infection. The findings also indicate that it may be possible to boost the virus-specific immune response through immunization (pages 1140–1146).

    • Bruce D. Walker
    • Eric S. Rosenberg
    News & Views

  • The hair follicle is a major repository for epidermal stem cells. Learning more about the processes that regulate the differentiation of these cells will improve the prospects for skin replacement and treatments for skin cancers.

    • Colin Jahoda
    • Amanda Reynolds
    News & Views

  • The T-cell co-receptor CD4 is required for T-cell activation, and it may be involved in stabilization of the T-cell receptor and class II major histocompatibility complexes during antigen presentation. However, video microscopic analyses of the interactions between T cells and antigen-presenting cells indicate otherwise.

    • Abraham Kupfer
    News & Views

  • Two clinical trials testing an altered peptide ligand (APL) in multiple sclerosis report seemingly contradictory results. Immunologic analysis shows that the biological effects of APLs extend far beyond what was initially envisioned, raising important issues for the development of this type of therapy (pages 1167–1175 & 1176–1182).

    • Claude P. Genain
    • Scott S. Zamvil
    News & Views

  • A naturally occurring metabolite of ceramide, sphingosine-1-phosphate, reportedly protects mouse oocytes from chemotherapy and radiation-induced apoptosis. What is the potential for using ceramide analogs to prevent human infertility? (pages 1109–1114)

    • Robert F. Casper
    • Andrea Jurisicova
    News & Views

  • The finding that unregulated, continuous delivery of vascular endothelial growth factor to the myocardium causes the formation of hemangiomas and death in mice indicates that more research is required on this potent molecule before clinical trials can proceed.

    • Peter Carmeliet
    News & Views

  • Retinoids have a wide variety of biological functions and have been recently shown to regulate cholesterol transport, bile acid synthesis and cholesterol absorption. These findings indicate a new line of mechanisms to control cholesterol homeostasis.

    • Alan R. Tall
    • Phillipe Costet
    • Yi Luo
    News & Views

  • Estrogen derivatives have been found to inhibit superoxide dismutase and selectively kill human leukemia cells in vitro. But is SOD a realistic target for human cancer therapy?

    • Barry Halliwell
    News & Views
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