Heat shock proteins in multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases.

Because of the abundance of the highly conserved heat shock proteins (hsp) in microbial pathogens and in mammalian cells, hsps have been considered candidates as target antigens in autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Consequently, this workshop examined the current understanding of the biology of hsps and discussed the evidence that they may contribute to autoimmune disease processes. This article reports the outcome of the discussion.