A study led by a Scripps Research Institute scientist describes a new, highly pragmatic approach（实际的方法） to the identification of molecules¹ that prevent a specific type of immune cells from attacking their host. The findings add a powerful new tool to the ongoing² 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 interfere³ with these T cells' "autoreactivity," in other words, their attack on the body itself rather than a foreign invader⁴ such as virus or bacteria.

"Our technique simultaneously⁵ uncovers and isolates⁶ 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 versus⁸ disease-causing T cells. While the process is technically⁹ complicated and difficult, the thinking behind it is not. We wanted to simplify the process of identifying compounds that could inhibit⁷ 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 spinal¹⁰ 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 affected¹¹. Common symptoms of the condition include fatigue（疲乏，疲劳）; numbness¹²（麻木）; walking, balance, and coordination¹³ problems（协调问题）; bladder（膀胱） and bowel¹⁴（肠） dysfunction; vision problems; dizziness and vertigo¹⁵（眩晕）; sexual dysfunction; pain; cognitive¹⁶ problems; emotional changes; and spasticity（痉挛）.