Autoimmunity: Peptide immunotherapy risk

CarbonBasedUnit writes "Peptide immunization might reduce destructive autoimmunity, such as seen in type I Diabetes or Multiple Sclerosis. However, Pedotti et al. reported that fatal hypersensitivity (anaphylaxis) can result from immunization and challenge with peptides. Mice were immunized with peptides emulsified in incomplete Freund’s adjuvant (oil), a relatively weak immunization protocol, and challenged with peptides in saline. Although first observed with self peptides, anaphylaxis was also observed against a foreign peptide. NOD (non obese diabetic) mice may be particularly sensitive due to defective immunoglobulin receptors (FcgammaRII).PubMed Entry,BMC Full Text"
Severe anaphylactic reactions to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) self peptides in NOD mice that spontaneously develop autoimmune type 1 diabetes mellitus
Rosetta Pedotti*, Maija Sanna*, Mindy Tsai, Jason DeVoss, Lawrence Steinman, Hugh McDevitt and Stephen J Galli
BMC Immunology 2003 4:2 (originally posted in MedDot.org August 22, 2003)
See also: Liu et al. Anti-peptide autoantibodies and fatal anaphylaxis in NOD mice in response to insulin self-peptides B:9-23 and B:13-23 and
Pedotti et al. An unexpected version of horror autotoxicus: anaphylactic shock to a self-peptide