Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system mediated by CD4⁺ T cells reactive with myelin basic protein (MBP). Rats were rendered resistant to the induction of EAE by vaccination with synthetic peptides corresponding to idiotypic determinants of the β chain VDJ region and Jα regions of the T cell receptor (TCR) that are conserved among encephalitogenic T cells. These findings demonstrate the utility of TCR peptide vaccination for modulating the activity of autoreactive T cells and represent a general therapeutic approach for T cell-mediated pathogenesis.