What's in a name? Experimental encephalomyelitis: 'allergic' or 'autoimmune'

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Neuroscience
• History of Science

Background:

• The terms "allergic" and "autoimmune" have evolved in scientific discourse, impacting the conceptualization of diseases like experimental encephalomyelitis (EE).
• Early research on EE, initiated by post-vaccinal encephalomyelitis (PVE), faced challenges in recognizing autoimmunity as a cause.
• The concept of allergy, positing harmful immune responses to extrinsic agents, gained traction, aligning with contemporary microbiological research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To trace the historical evolution of the terms "allergic" and "autoimmune" in the context of experimental encephalomyelitis (EE).
• To analyze how changing scientific perceptions and terminology influenced the understanding of EE and its relationship to autoimmune diseases.

Main Methods:

• Historical analysis of scientific literature and terminology related to experimental encephalomyelitis (EE).
• Examination of key research milestones, including the development of adjuvants and the coining of the EAE acronym.
• Tracing the transition in nomenclature from "E allergic E" (EAE) to "E autoimmune E".

Main Results:

• The term "allergic" was initially prevalent in describing EE, partly due to its alignment with extrinsic agent theories.
• The development of Freund's adjuvant in the 1940s accelerated EE induction, leading to the "E allergic E" (EAE) designation.
• Despite the availability of the term "autoimmune" by the 1950s, "allergic" persisted in the EAE acronym until the 1980s, when "autoimmune" gained prominence.

Conclusions:

• The shift from "allergic" to "autoimmune" in describing EE reflects a significant evolution in understanding immune-mediated diseases.
• "Autoimmune" became the preferred descriptor as scientific understanding progressed, particularly in modeling human autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis.
• Linguistic changes in scientific terminology are crucial indicators of evolving scientific paradigms and perceptions.