ABSTRACT
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by multifocal inflammation, demyelination and axonal injury. The exact etiology of MS remains a mystery, although polygenic determinants and exposure to an unknown environmental trigger are likely. One class of potential environmental triggers is an antigen of viral or bacterial origin. Small peptide fragments of microbial components, with amino acid sequences similar to those of antigenic segments of myelin proteins, could induce a crossreactive immune attack on self by a process of molecular mimicry1.
