Antigen therapy of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis selectively induces apoptosis of pathogenic T cells.
Administration of high-dose myelin antigen induces massive T cell apoptosis in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) but the nature of the target cells remains elusive. Here we have used a cell line established in eGFP-transgenic Lewis rats to distinguish between pathogenic and bystander T cells in adoptive transfer EAE. Intravenous application of gpMBP strongly reduced the amount of encephalitogenic cells in spinal cord and spleen while the number of the other T cells remained constant. This could be attributed to their differential sensitivity to apoptosis. Thus, antigen therapy selectively targets pathogenic T cells and should therefore limit potential adverse effects.
Tischner
Denise
D
Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Strasse 7, 97078 Würzburg, and Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, University of Bochum, Germany.
Weishaupt
Andreas
A
van den Brandt
Jens
J
Ip
Chi Wang
CW
Kerkau
Thomas
T
Gold
Ralf
R
Reichardt
Holger M
HM
D019264:Adoptive Transfer / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*
D000941:Antigens; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D053148:Caspase 3