Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0014070 (encephalomyelitis)
13,017 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Autoimmune diseases frequently develop as a result of an abnormal activation of autoreactive T cells, excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines, particularly by CD4(+) Th1 cells, and subsequent tissue destruction. Cytokine-dependent immunotherapy can be applied to alter the balance between Th1 and Th2 cell activity, or proinflammatory versus immunosuppressive cytokine profiles. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and/or macrophage activity can also be suppressed. Gene transfer offers numerous advantages for the in vivo delivery of cytokines or their receptors for immunotherapeutic use. We have relied on the injection of naked plasmid DNA into skeletal muscle to deliver therapeutic genes. In particular, we have successfully used this approach to deliver neutralizing cytokine receptors such as interferon gamma (IFNgamma)-receptor-Ig fusion proteins or anti-inflammatory cytokines such as transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta1) and interleukin 4 (IL-4). Intramuscular gene therapy is effective in protecting against several experimental autoimmune diseases including insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Another promising approach involves DNA vaccination by plasmid-based codelivery of genes encoding an autoantigen and either a cytokine or other immunomodulatory molecule. Plasmid vectors offer interesting advantages over viral vectors, since they are simple to produce, non-immunogenic and non-pathogenic. They can be repeatedly administered with relatively prolonged periods of expression in vivo, ranging from weeks to months after each injection. Plasmid-based intramuscular gene transfer has great therapeutic potential in the areas of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.
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PMID:Immune modulation by plasmid DNA-mediated cytokine gene transfer. 1257 Jun 78

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is mediated by autoantigen-specific T cells dependent on critical costimulatory signals for their full activation and regulation. We report that the programmed death-1 (PD-1) costimulatory pathway plays a critical role in regulating peripheral tolerance in murine EAE and appears to be a major contributor to the resistance of disease induction in CD28-deficient mice. After immunization with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) there was a progressive increase in expression of PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1 but not PD-L2 within the central nervous system (CNS) of mice with EAE, peaking after 3 wk. In both wild-type (WT) and CD28-deficient mice, PD-1 blockade resulted in accelerated and more severe disease with increased CNS lymphocyte infiltration. Worsening of disease after PD-1 blockade was associated with a heightened autoimmune response to MOG, manifested by increased frequency of interferon gamma-producing T cells, increased delayed-type hypersensitivity responses, and higher serum levels of anti-MOG antibody. In vivo blockade of PD-1 resulted in increased antigen-specific T cell expansion, activation, and cytokine production. Interestingly, PD-L2 but not PD-L1 blockade in WT animals also resulted in disease augmentation. Our data are the first demonstration that the PD-1 pathway plays a critical role in regulating EAE.
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PMID:Critical role of the programmed death-1 (PD-1) pathway in regulation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. 1284 38

The proteinase-activated receptors (PARs) are widely recognized for their modulatory properties of inflammation and neurodegeneration. We investigated the role of PAR2 in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in humans and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice. PAR2 expression was increased on astrocytes and infiltrating macrophages in human MS and murine EAE central nervous system (CNS) white matter (P < 0.05). Macrophages and astrocytes from PAR2 wild-type (WT) and knockout (KO) mice exhibited differential immune gene expression with PAR2 KO macrophages showing significantly higher interleukin 10 production after lipopolysaccharide stimulation (P < 0.001). PAR2 activation in macrophages resulted in the release of soluble oligodendrocyte cytotoxins (P < 0.01). Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced EAE caused more severe inflammatory gene expression in the CNS of PAR2 WT animals (P < 0.05), together with enhanced T cell proliferation and interferon gamma production (P < 0.05), compared with KO littermates. Indeed, PAR2 WT animals showed markedly greater microglial activation and T lymphocyte infiltration accompanied by worsened demyelination and axonal injury in the CNS compared with their PAR2 KO littermates. Enhanced neuropathological changes were associated with a more severe progressive relapsing disease phenotype (P < 0.001) in WT animals. These findings reveal previously unreported pathogenic interactions between CNS PAR2 expression and neuroinflammation with ensuing demyelination and axonal injury.
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PMID:Proteinase-activated receptor 2 modulates neuroinflammation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis. 1647 70

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)alpha is a nuclear receptor that mediates gender differences in lipid metabolism. PPARalpha also functions to control inflammatory responses by repressing the activity of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) and c-jun in immune cells. Because PPARalpha is situated at the crossroads of gender and immune regulation, we hypothesized that this gene may mediate sex differences in the development of T cell-mediated autoimmune disease. We show that PPARalpha is more abundant in male as compared with female CD4(+) cells and that its expression is sensitive to androgen levels. Genetic ablation of this gene selectively removed the brake on NF-kappaB and c-jun activity in male T lymphocytes, resulting in higher production of interferon gamma and tumor necrosis factor (but not interleukin 17), and lower production of T helper (Th)2 cytokines. Upon induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, male but not female PPARalpha(-/-) mice developed more severe clinical signs that were restricted to the acute phase of disease. These results suggest that males are less prone to develop Th1-mediated autoimmunity because they have higher T cell expression of PPARalpha.
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PMID:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)alpha expression in T cells mediates gender differences in development of T cell-mediated autoimmunity. 2977 42

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune demyelinating disease. The expression of chemokine receptor CXCR3 on activated T cells is crucial to direct the migration of effector cells into the inflammatory sites and initiate EAE. In this study we tested the effect of a novel recombinant immunotoxin targeting CXCR3(+) cells for EAE prevention. The immunotoxin construct DT390-IP-10-SRalpha consisted of interferon gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), a ligand of CXCR3, as the targeting moiety, and a truncated diphtheria toxin (DT390) as the toxic moiety. In vitro transfection of DT390-IP-10-SRalpha into NIH3T3 cells resulted in expression of DT390-IP-10 which proved highly toxic to activated T cells. To evaluate the effect of DT390-IP-10-SRalpha on EAE prevention in vivo, cationic liposome-embedded DT390-IP-10-SRalpha was injected into the muscle of hind limbs of C57BL/6 mice immunized by myelin basic protein (MBP). DT390-IP-10-SRalpha-treated mice showed a delayed onset of EAE and milder symptoms compared to the mice treated with empty control plasmid or PBS alone. Immunohistochemical staining detected significantly reduced infiltrating CXCR3(+) cells in the inflammatory lesions of CNS from immunotoxin treated mice as compared to the controls. This study suggests that targeting CXCR3(+) T cells with recombinant immunotoxin could be achieved in vivo to delay and ameliorate murine EAE.
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PMID:In vivo administration of plasmid DNA encoding recombinant immunotoxin DT390-IP-10 attenuates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. 1726 77

Soluble egg antigen (SEA) is strongly antigenic and inherently induces Th2-biased immune responses. In this study, we tested whether SEA from Schistosoma japonicum is able to prevent experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced by MOG(35-55) peptide, an established animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Intraperitoneal administration with SEA before EAE induction and in the preclinical phase after EAE induction successfully ameliorated the severity and progression of EAE on mice compared with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) controls, while no protective effect was shown when SEA immunization began after disease onset. This effect was associated with reduced interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) production and/or increased interleukin 4 (IL-4) production in spleen and central nervous system (CNS) even at the chronic stage. Similarly, we observed reduced inflammation and demyelination in spinal cords of SEA pretreated EAE mice compared with controls. Our data indicate that immunization with SEA from S. japonicum induces a preestablished Th2-biased microenvironment that provides preventive immune-modulating effects on EAE progression. This study may have important implications for its promising therapeutic use in MS and other autoimmune diseases.
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PMID:Soluble egg antigen from Schistosoma japonicum modulates the progression of chronic progressive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis via Th2-shift response. 1820 51

Cell-based therapies are attractive approaches to promote myelin repair. Recent studies demonstrated a reduction in disease burden in mice with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) treated with mouse mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Here, we demonstrated human bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-hMSCs) promote functional recovery in both chronic and relapsing-remitting models of mouse EAE, traced their migration into the injured CNS and assayed their ability to modulate disease progression and the host immune response. Injected BM-hMSCs accumulated in the CNS, reduced the extent of damage and increased oligodendrocyte lineage cells in lesion areas. The increase in oligodendrocytes in lesions may reflect BM-hMSC-induced changes in neural fate determination, since neurospheres from treated animals gave rise to more oligodendrocytes and less astrocytes than nontreated neurospheres. Host immune responses were also influenced by BM-hMSCs. Inflammatory T-cells including interferon gamma producing Th1 cells and IL-17 producing Th17 inflammatory cells and their associated cytokines were reduced along with concomitant increases in IL-4 producing Th2 cells and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Together, these data suggest that the BM-hMSCs represent a viable option for therapeutic approaches.
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PMID:Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells induce Th2-polarized immune response and promote endogenous repair in animal models of multiple sclerosis. 1919 36

The extent to which myelin-specific Th1 and Th17 cells contribute to the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is controversial. Combinations of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, and IL-23 with transforming growth factor beta were used to differentiate myelin-specific T cell receptor transgenic T cells into Th17 cells, none of which could induce EAE, whereas Th1 cells consistently transferred disease. However, IL-6 was found to promote the differentiation of encephalitogenic Th17 cells. Further analysis of myelin-specific T cells that were encephalitogenic in spontaneous EAE and actively induced EAE demonstrated that T-bet expression was critical for pathogenicity, regardless of cytokine expression by the encephalitogenic T cells. These data suggest that encephalitogenicity of myelin-specific T cells appears to be mediated by a pathway dependent on T-bet and not necessarily pathway-specific end products, such as interferon gamma and IL-17.
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PMID:T-bet is essential for encephalitogenicity of both Th1 and Th17 cells. 1954 48

Osthole, a natural coumarin, is known to have a variety of pharmacological and biochemical uses and is considered to have potential therapeutic applications. Here we examined the effects of osthole on the central nervous system demyelination in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of multiple sclerosis and its mechanism(s). C57 BL/6 mice immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 35-55 amino acid peptide were treated with osthole at day 7 post immunization (7 p.i., subclinical periods, early osthole treatment) and day 13 p.i. (clinical periods, late osthole treatment) respectively and both therapies continued throughout the study. The content of nerve growth factor (NGF) and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) in the sera and brain of mice in vivo as well as the splenocytes culture supernatants in vitro were detected. The results showed that osthole retarded the disease process when the therapy was initiated at subclinical periods, attenuated the clinical severity of EAE mice when the therapy was initiated at both subclinical and clinical periods, ameliorated inflammation and demyelination and improved the outcomes of magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, osthole blocked the reduction of NGF and suppressed IFN-gamma increase in EAE mice. These results suggested that osthole might be a new pharmacological approach to treat multiple sclerosis.
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PMID:Attenuation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in C57 BL/6 mice by osthole, a natural coumarin. 2000 98

The presence of anti-myelin antibodies (Abs) in patients with early multiple sclerosis (MS) and in MS animal models has led to renewed interest in the role of B cells, plasma cells and their products in the pathogenesis of the disease, and in their therapeutic potential. Here, we present a novel strategy based on filamentous phage display of the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein immunodominant epitope (MOG 36-44) fused to the main coat protein. Filamentous phages are well characterized, both structurally and genetically. We found that the fibrous shape of the phage (1000 nm long and 6 nm wide) enables penetration into the central nervous system (CNS) when administered nasally. Thus, intranasal treatment of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice, with phage MOG, showed improved neuronal function, reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, particularly monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and IL-6, but no change in IL-10 or IL-12 levels. Moreover, the treatment induced depletion of the autoantibodies against MOG and prevented demyelination resulting in improved clinical scores and the reduced inflammation in the CNS and periphery in EAE mice compared to untreated sick animals.
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PMID:Antigen-specific therapy of EAE via intranasal delivery of filamentous phage displaying a myelin immunodominant epitope. 2054 38


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