title: Pixantrone (BBR2778) reduces the severity of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.
abstract: Pixantrone is less cardiotoxic and is similarly effective to mitoxantrone (MTX) as an antineoplastic drug. In our study, pixantrone reduced the severity of acute and decreased the relapse rate of chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in rats. A marked and long-lasting decrease in CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD45RA+ blood cells and reduced anti-MBP titers were observed with both pixantrone and MTX. In vitro mitogen- and antigen-induced T-cell proliferation tests of human and rodents cells evidenced that pixantrone was effective at concentrations which can be effectively obtained after i.v. administration in humans. Cardiotoxicity was present only in MTX-treated rats. The effectiveness and the favorable safety profile makes pixantrone a most promising immunosuppressant agent for clinical use in multiple sclerosis (MS).
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Technologies, University of Milan Bicocca, and Department of Neurology, S. Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy. guido.cavaletti@unimib.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavaletti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cavalletti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crippa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Luccio
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oggioni
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mazzanti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Biagioli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frigo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tagliabue
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stanzani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galbiati
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rigolio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zoia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tredici
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perseghin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dassi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Riccio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lolli
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007546:Isoquinolines; D008942:Mitoxantrone; C086548:pixantrone