A study led by a Scripps Research Institute scientist describes a new, highly pragmatic approach（实际的方法） to the identification of molecules that prevent a specific type of immune cells from attacking their host. The findings add a powerful new tool to the ongoing search for potential treatments for autoimmune（自身免疫的） diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as blood cancers, such as myeloid leukemia（骨髓性白血病）. The study by Thomas Kodadek, a professor in the Chemistry and Cancer Biology Departments at Scripps Florida, and colleagues was published in the November 25, 2009 issue (Volume 16, issue 11) of the journal Chemistry & Biology.

In the new study, Kodadek and his colleagues used samples from an animal model of multiple sclerosis（多发性硬化） to screen for T cells—a type of white blood cell that plays a central role in the immune system—with a heightened presence in the disease. The screen also identified molecules that interfere with these T cells' "autoreactivity," in other words, their attack on the body itself rather than a foreign invader such as virus or bacteria.

"Our technique simultaneously uncovers and isolates autoreactive T cells as well as inhibitors（禁制因素） to them," Kodadek said. "It's a double whammy（祸不单行）. At the heart of this is a comparative screening process of normal T cells versus disease-causing T cells. While the process is technically complicated and difficult, the thinking behind it is not. We wanted to simplify the process of identifying compounds that could inhibit autoreactive T cells with exceptional specificity, and we succeeded."

The scientists used a model of MS, an autoimmune inflammatory disease（炎性疾病） affecting the brain and spinal cord（脊髓）, for the study. In MS, the immune system attacks the myelin sheath（髓鞘） covering and protecting nerve cells, leading to a variety of symptoms depending on which part of the nervous system is affected. Common symptoms of the condition include fatigue（疲乏，疲劳）; numbness（麻木）; walking, balance, and coordination problems（协调问题）; bladder（膀胱） and bowel（肠） dysfunction; vision problems; dizziness and vertigo（眩晕）; sexual dysfunction; pain; cognitive problems; emotional changes; and spasticity（痉挛）.