Abstract
Since the model was first proposed in the 1980s (Ref. [1]), molecular mimicry has been speculated to be involved in the induction of autoimmune disease; yet, until now, direct evidence for this popular theory has been lacking. Research published recently by Zhao et al.[2]demonstrates the ability of a herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) coat protein to imitate a normal protein found in the corneal tissue of the murine eye and thereby fool the immune system into attacking self-tissue. By constructing virus that lacks the crossreactive epitope, these authors have shown that this mutant HSV-1 is unable to induce herpes stromal keratitis (HSK), thereby providing clear evidence that, in a murine model of virally transmitted blindness, molecular mimicry is a critical player in the induction of this autoimmune disease.
Published Version
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