Research news on Molecular Mimicry

Molecular mimicry is a biological process in which structural, conformational, or sequence similarity between foreign antigens (typically from pathogens) and host molecules leads to cross-recognition by the immune system. This resemblance can cause antibodies or T cell receptors generated against microbial epitopes to bind self-antigens, breaking self-tolerance and potentially initiating autoimmune pathology. Mechanistically, mimicry may involve shared linear peptide motifs, similar three-dimensional epitope surfaces, or conserved post-translational modifications. Molecular mimicry is a key concept in immunopathogenesis research, where it is investigated as a mechanism linking infection or vaccination to autoimmune diseases through epitope cross-reactivity and bystander immune activation.