Gene-based delivery of IFN-beta is efficacious in a murine model of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.
Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a model of central nervous system (CNS) inflammation that follows immunization with certain CNS antigens. The course and clinical manifestations of EAE are similar to those of multiple sclerosis (MS) in humans; therefore, EAE has become an accepted animal model to study MS. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that systemic expression of murine interferon-beta (IFN-beta) (MuIFN-beta), following intramuscular (i.m.) delivery of plasmid DNA encoding MuIFN-beta to the hind limb of mice, is effective in reducing the clinical manifestations of disease in a model of EAE. The results of the study demonstrate that gene-based delivery of MuIFN-beta caused significantly decreased clinical scores compared with delivery of the null vector. A single injection of the MuIFN-beta plasmid was as effective in reducing the severity of the disease as an every other day injection of MuIFN-beta protein.
Schaefer
Caralee
C
Department of Pharmacology, Berlex Biosciences, Richmond, CA 94804, USA.
Hidalgo
Toni Rose
TR
Cashion
Linda
L
Petry
Harald
H
Brooks
Alan
A
Szymanski
Paul
P
Qian
Hu Sheng
HS
Gross
Cynthia
C
Wang
Peiyin
P
Liu
Perry
P
Goldman
Claudia
C
Rubanyi
Gabor M
GM
Harkins
Richard N
RN
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D018390:Gene Targeting; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology
D016899:Interferon-beta