title: Treg cell resistance to apoptosis in DNA vaccination for experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Regulatory T (Treg) cells can be induced with DNA vaccinations and protect mice from the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Tacrolimus (FK506) has been shown to have functions on inducing immunosuppression and augmenting apoptosis of pathologic T cells in autoimmune disease. Here we examined the therapeutic effect of DNA vaccine in conjunction with FK506 on EAE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After EAE induction, C57BL/6 mice were treated with DNA vaccine in conjunction with FK506. Functional Treg cells were induced in treated EAE mice and suppressed Th1 and Th17 cell responses. Infiltrated CD4 T cells were reduced while Treg cells were induced in spinal cords of treated EAE mice. Remarkably, the activated CD4 T cells augmented apoptosis, but the induced Treg cells resisted apoptosis in treated EAE mice, resulting in alleviation of clinical EAE severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DNA vaccine in conjunction with FK506 treatment ameliorates EAE by enhancing apoptosis of CD4 T cells and resisting apoptosis of induced Treg cells. Our findings implicate the potential of tolerogenic DNA vaccines for treating MS.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. kym@cau.edu.cn
authors.forename: Youmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yuhan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jingyao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wenjuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yongqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guoliang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006652:Histological Techniques; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D016559:Tacrolimus