Friday, 8 July 2016

If EAE is not MS Change MS

Pierson ER, Wagner CA, Goverman JM. The contribution of neutrophils to CNS autoimmunity.Clin Immunol. 2016. pii: S1521-6616(16)30143-7.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is believed to be initiated when myelin-specific T cells infiltrate the central nervous system (CNS), triggering subsequent recruitment of inflammatory leucocytes to the CNS. The contribution of neutrophils to CNS autoimmune disease has been underappreciated, but several studies in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS, indicate that neutrophils have an important role in inflammation. Neutrophils are hypothesized to contribute to the pathogenesis of EAE by producing cytokines and promoting breakdown of the blood brain barrier. Neutrophils may also influence the manifestation of EAE by facilitating parenchymal brain inflammation.

When MS doesn't look like EAE , should we re-write the biology of MS so it becomes EAE? 

The mouse has what they call delayed type hypersensitvity reactions that can be dominated by neutrophils, which is completely different from the guinea pig....and human where they are not prominent. Neutrophils are part of our first line of defense against infection.

In some EAE models, neutrophils make up about 5% of the infiltrate, but in others they make up about 80% of the infiltrate. 

So if you work with this strain of mouse can you convince yourself that it is MS? Importantly can you convince others that this is MS?

In MS neutrophils are thought to form a minor component of the infiltrate, but in NMO they are thought to be more important.

If you are an animal modeller you first need to have a look at what MS is. When you do ,you can sometimes get a bit of a shock. 

However ywe also have to remember that to many modellers, mechanism is the important thing

1 comment:

  1. I remember that study published here that depending on the result of the ratio of neutrophils and lymphocytes could be indicative of inflammatory activity, outbreak of MS ...

