TY - JOUR
T1 - Regulatory T cell-based immunotherapies in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis
AU - Souroujon, Miriam C.
AU - Aricha, Revital
AU - Feferman, Tali
AU - Mizrachi, Keren
AU - Reuveni, Debby
AU - Fuchs, Sara
PY - 2012/12
Y1 - 2012/12
N2 - Establishment of tolerance in myasthenia gravis (MG) involves regulatory T (Treg) cells. Experimental autoimmune MG (EAMG) in rats is a suitable model for assessing the contribution of Treg cells to the immunopathology of the disease and for testing novel Treg cell-based treatment modalities. We have studied two immunotherapeutic approaches for targeting of Treg cells in myasthenia. By one approach we demonstrated that treatment of sick rats by ex vivo-generated exogenous Treg cells derived from healthy donors suppressed EAMG. By a different approach, we aimed at affecting the endogenous Treg/Th17 cell balance by targeting IL-6, which has a key role in controlling the equilibrium between pathogenic Th17 and suppressive Treg cells. We found that treatment of myasthenic rats by neutralizing anti-IL-6 antibodies shifted this equilibrium in favor of Treg cells and led to suppression of EAMG. Our results show that Treg cells could serve as potential targets in treating MG patients.
AB - Establishment of tolerance in myasthenia gravis (MG) involves regulatory T (Treg) cells. Experimental autoimmune MG (EAMG) in rats is a suitable model for assessing the contribution of Treg cells to the immunopathology of the disease and for testing novel Treg cell-based treatment modalities. We have studied two immunotherapeutic approaches for targeting of Treg cells in myasthenia. By one approach we demonstrated that treatment of sick rats by ex vivo-generated exogenous Treg cells derived from healthy donors suppressed EAMG. By a different approach, we aimed at affecting the endogenous Treg/Th17 cell balance by targeting IL-6, which has a key role in controlling the equilibrium between pathogenic Th17 and suppressive Treg cells. We found that treatment of myasthenic rats by neutralizing anti-IL-6 antibodies shifted this equilibrium in favor of Treg cells and led to suppression of EAMG. Our results show that Treg cells could serve as potential targets in treating MG patients.
KW - Experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis
KW - IL-6
KW - Th17 cells
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84871298181&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06844.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06844.x
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C2 - 23252906
AN - SCOPUS:84871298181
SN - 0077-8923
VL - 1274
SP - 120
EP - 126
JO - Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
JF - Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
IS - 1
ER -