GLATIRAMER ACETATE, A RANDOM POLYMER OF L-ALANINE, L-GLUTAMIC ACID, L-LYSINE, AND L-TYROSINE, IS A PEPTIDE THAT HAS SOME STRUCTURAL RESEMBLANCE TO MYELIN BASIC PROTEIN, AND IS USED TO REDUCE THE FREQUENCY OF RELAPSES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RELAPSING-REMITTING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS . THE MECHANISM(S) BY WHICH GLATIRAMER ACETATE EXERTS ITS EFFECTS IN PATIENTS WITH MS ARE NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD. HOWEVER, GLATIRAMER ACETATE IS THOUGHT TO ACT BY MODIFYING IMMUNE PROCESSES THAT ARE BELIEVED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PATHOGENESIS OF MS. THIS HYPOTHESIS IS SUPPORTED BY FINDINGS OF STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT TO EXPLORE THE PATHOGENESIS OF EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS, A CONDITION INDUCED IN ANIMALS THROUGH IMMUNIZATION AGAINST CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DERIVED MATERIAL CONTAINING MYELIN AND OFTEN USED AS AN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL MODEL OF MS. STUDIES IN ANIMALS AND IN VITRO SYSTEMS SUGGEST THAT UPON ITS ADMINISTRATION, GLATIRAMER ACETATE-SPECIFIC SUPPRESSOR T-CELLS ARE INDUCED AND ACTIVATED IN THE PERIPHERY.