Heat shock protein peptides and methods for modulating autoimmune central nervous system disease

A method for stimulating a proliferative T-cell response for T-cells of a patient suffering from multiple sclerosis, the method comprising the steps of:

• administering to a patient suffering from multiple sclerosis a composition comprising isolated mycobacterial heat shock protein 65 (HSP65) or peptide which comprises an at least 9 amino acid subsequence thereof, wherein the protein or peptide is present in an amount effective to stimulate the proliferative T-cell response for T-cells of the patient, and wherein the HSP65 protein or peptide comprises the sequence
• Lys-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Ser-Gly-Try-Phe-Val-Asp-Ala-Glu-Arg-Gln (SEQ ID No. 11),
• Gly-Gly-Val-Thr-Leu-Leu-Gln-Ala-Ala-Pro-Ala-Leu-Asp (SEQ ID No. 13),
• Val-Ala-Val-Lys-Ala-Pro-Gly-Phe-Gly-Asp-Arg-Lys-Ala-Met (SEQ ID No. 18),
• Leu-Lys-Pro-Gly-Leu-Glu-Lys-Asp-Phe (SEQ ID No. 1), or combination thereof;
• and stimulating the proliferative T-cell response for T-cells of the patient, wherein the patients's T-cells are stimulated to proliferate to an extent more than 2-fold greater than the patient's T-cells in the absence of the HSP65 protein or peptide.