Almost 50% of the cells infiltrating the central nervous system (CNS) of animals with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) are macrophages (M psi). To investigate the role of the M psi in the pathogenesis of EAE, we eliminated M psi by means of mannosylated liposomes containing dichloromethylene diphosphonate (Cl2MDP). Cl2MDP-containing liposomes injected intravenously eliminate M psi ...

The rodent model for multiple sclerosis, experimental allergic (autoimmune) encephalomyelitis (EAE), has been used to dissect molecular mechanisms of the autoimmune inflammatory response, and hence to devise and test new therapies for multiple sclerosis. Clearly, artificial immunization against myelin may not necessarily reproduce all the pathogenetic mechanisms operating in the human disease, ...

Dendritic cells (DC) are antigen-presenting cells specialized to regulate immune responses. DC not only control immunity, but also maintain tolerance to self-antigens-two complementary functions that would ensure the integrity of the organism in an environment full of pathogens. Here we report that splenic DC that had been exposed in vitro to IFN-gamma (IFN-gamma-DC) exhibit therapeutic potenti...

The exact mechanisms leading to CNS inflammation and myelin destruction in multiple sclerosis and in its animal model, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) remain equivocal. In both multiple sclerosis and EAE, complement activation is thought to play a pivotal role by recruiting inflammatory cells, increasing myelin phagocytosis by macrophages, and exerting direct cytotoxic effects thr...

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is the animal model for multiple sclerosis. This study explores a novel use of sodium benzoate (NaB), a commonly used food additive and a Food and Drug Administration-approved nontoxic drug for urea cycle disorders, in treating the disease process of relapsing-remitting EAE in female SJL/J mice. NaB, administered through drinking water at physiologi...

introduction: multiple sclerosis (ms) is a chronic autoimmune disease with unknown etiology affecting the central nervous system. the prevalence of ms is highest where environmental supplies of vitamin d are lowest. some studies have shown a strong protective effect of vitamin d3 in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (eae) a model of ms. however, it is not known whether vitamin d3 has a ...

Re-myelination in the adult CNS has been demonstrated in different experimental models of demyelinating diseases. However, there is no clear evidence that re-myelination is effective in multiple sclerosis (MS), the most diffuse demyelinating disease. Moreover, chronic disabilities in MS are believed to be due to remyelination failure and consequent neuron damage and degeneration. Due to the pre...

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an autoimmune disease that can be induced in laboratory animals by immunization with the major myelin proteins, myelin basic protein (MBP) and proteolipid protein (PLP). We analyzed the role of the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in susceptibility to EAE induced by these two autoantigens. Autoreactive T cells induced after immunization with MBP ...