title: Beta7 integrins contribute to demyelinating disease of the central nervous system.
abstract: A role for alpha4 integrins in different forms of the multiple sclerosis-like disease experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) has been demonstrated, but the individual contributions of alpha4beta1, alpha4beta7, and the related alphaEbeta7 integrin have not been determined. The P7 integrins alpha4beta7 and alphaEbeta7 play a central role in chronic inflammation, mediating the trafficking, entry, and/or adhesion of lymphocytes in the inflamed pancreas and gut, and their ligands MAdCAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-cadherin are expressed on brain endothelial cells and/or on microvessels in the inflamed central nervous system. Here, we show that an antibody directed against the beta7 subunit greatly attenuates a non-remitting form of EAE, induced by adoptive transfer of myelin oligodendrocyte peptide (MOG35-55)-stimulated T cells. Combinational treatment with both anti-beta7 and alpha4 integrin subunit antibodies led to more rapid and complete remission than that obtained with anti-alpha4 antibody alone, potentially implicating a role for alphaEbeta7 in disease progression. Remission correlated with the down-regulation of the vascular addressins VCAM-1. MAdCAM-1, and ICAM-1 on cerebral blood vessels. Attenuated forms of disease were induced by adoptive transfer of either wild-type encephalitogenic T cells to beta7-deficient gene knockout mice, or of beta7-/-encephalitogenic T cells to wild-type recipients. The former finding indicates that beta7 + ve recruited cells contribute to disease progression. Thus alpha4beta1, alpha4beta7, and alphaEbeta7 integrins may all play a contributory role in the progression of chronic forms of demyelinating disease, and together with their ligands could represent potential targets for improved treatment of some forms of multiple sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kanwar
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Krissansen
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020278:Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS / Q000378:metabolism; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D039441:Integrin alpha4; D039641:Integrin beta Chains; D016023:Integrins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009185:Myelin Proteins; D018992:Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D063308:Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D039641:Integrin beta Chains; D016023:Integrins; C571327:Mog protein, mouse; D009185:Myelin Proteins; D018992:Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein; D063308:Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein; C091368:integrin beta7; D039441:Integrin alpha4