'Split tolerance' induction by intrathymic injection of acetylcholine receptor in a rat model of autoimmune myasthenia gravis; implications for the design of specific immunotherapies.

Experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) in the Lewis rat, induced by a single injection of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) protein, is a model used to study human myasthenia gravis (MG). The production of anti-AChR antibodies in the animal model and human MG is T cell-dependent, and AChR-specific T cells have been considered as a potential target for specific immunotherapy. Intrathymic injection of antigens induces antigen-specific tolerance in several T cell-mediated autoimmune models. We examined the effect of intrathymic injection of AChR on T cell responses and the production of antibodies to AChR in EAMG rats. Primed lymph node cells from rats receiving intrathymic injection of AChR exhibited reduced proliferation to AChR with marked suppression of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) secretion in the antigen-stimulated culture, compared with those of rats injected with PBS. However, neither anti-Narke AChR nor anti-rat AChR antibody production was suppressed or enhanced in intrathymically AChR-injected animals compared with that of animals injected intrathymically with PBS or perithymically with AChR. This 'split tolerance' may be attributable to the suppression of type-1 T helper cells (Th1). Our results suggest that the suppression of Th1 function alone may not be sufficient for the prevention of antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases.     

Interferon-gamma-modified dendritic cells suppress B cell function and ameliorate the development of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis

This study was designed to investigate the therapeutic effects of interferon (IFN)-gamma-modulated dendritic cells (DC) in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). We induced EAMG in Lewis rats by immunization with Torpedo nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and adjuvant. On day 33 post-immunization (p.i.), splenic DC were prepared, exposed to IFN-gamma alone (IFN-gamma-DC) or to IFN-gamma in combination with 1-methyl-DL-tryptophan (1-MT), the specific inhibitor of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) (IFN-gamma + 1-MT-DC), and injected subcutaneously into rats with incipient EAMG on day 5 p.i. A control group of EAMG rats received naive DC on day 5 p.i., while another group received 1-MT every other day, intraperitoneally (p.i.), from days 5 to 41 p.i. The severity of clinical signs of EAMG was reduced dramatically in IFN-gamma-DC-treated rats compared to rats receiving naive DC, IFN-gamma + 1-MT-DC or 1-MT alone. The number of plasma cells secreting nAChR antibodies was reduced and the expression of B cell activation factor (BAFF) on splenic and lymph node mononuclear cells (MNC) was down-regulated in rats treated with IFN-gamma-DC. In vitro co-culture of MNC derived from EAMG rats with IFN-gamma-DC produced relatively few cells secreting nAChR antibodies. Addition of 1-MT to the co-culture significantly increased the number of cells secreting nAChR antibodies. We conclude that IFN-gamma-DC reduced the number of plasma cells secreting nAChR antibodies in an IDO-dependent manner and ameliorated the development of EAMG in Lewis rats.     

Autoreactive T cell responses and cytokine patterns reflect resistance to experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis in Wistar Furth rats

Various mouse and rat strains show different susceptibilities to experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) that can be induced by immunization with acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and Freund's complete adjuvant, and represents a model for the antibody-mediated myasthenia gravis in humans. We examined AChR-induced B and T cell responses and cytokine mRNA expression to study the mechanisms behind susceptibility to EAMG in Lewis rats and resistance in Wistar Furth (WF) rats. Both strains had similarly elevated concentrations and affinities of serum anti-AChR antibodies, and no difference between the two strains for frequencies of cells in lymphoid organs expressing mRNA of the B cell stimulating cytokine interleukin-4 was found. In contrast, T cell responses to AChR measured by proliferation and by enumeration of interferon-γ-expressing cells at both mRNA and protein level were lower in the resistant WF rats. This strain showed, instead, an up-regulation of the anti-inflammatory transforming growth factor-β. Strain-related differences in the susceptibility to actively induced EAMG are thus related to quantitative differences in distribution between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines.     

Treatment of experimental myasthenia gravis with cyclosporin A

Cyclosporin A (CsA) is an immunosuppressive agent that has recently been used to prevent rejection of transplanted tissues. The effects of CsA treatment of rats with experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG), an antibody-mediated autoimmune disorder of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at neuromuscular junctions, have been studied. CsA treatment at the time of primary immunization suppressed the antibody responses to AChR virtually completely. Following 12 weeks of CsA, the AChR-immunized rats responded like naive controls to a further challenge of AChR. Treatment of ongoing EAMG resulted in a reduction of AChR antibody by more than 50%. The secondary response to a challenge of AChR was prevented by CsA treatment, but a very large challenge dose in adjuvant partially overwhelmed the effect of CsA. CsA treatment also prevented the loss of AChRs at neuromuscular junctions, as compared with untreated EAMG controls (P less than 0.02). The efficacy of CsA in suppressing ongoing and secondary hetero- and autoimmune responses against AChR in EAMG encourages its ultimate application in autoimmune diseases of man, such as MG. Its usefulness will depend on the ability to determine effective doses of CsA that are well tolerated.     

Treatment of passively transferred experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis using papain

Antibody-mediated acetylcholine receptor (AChR) loss at the neuromuscular junction, the main cause of the symptoms of myasthenia gravis, is induced by bivalent or multivalent antibodies. Passive transfer of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) can be induced very efficiently in rats by administration of intact MoAbs directed against the main immunogenic region (MIR) of the AChR, but not by their monovalent Fab fragments. We tested whether papain, which has been used therapeutically in autoimmune and other diseases, is capable of preventing EAMG by in vivo cleavage of the circulating anti-AChR antibodies into Fab fragments. EAMG was induced in 4-week-old female Lewis rats by i.p. injection of anti-MIR mAb35. A total of 0.75 mg of papain was given as one or three injections 3-7 h after MoAb injection. The mAb35 + papain-treated animals developed mild weakness during the first 30 h and subsequently recovered, while all animals that received only mAb35 developed severe myasthenic symptoms and died within 24-30 h. Animals treated only with papain showed no apparent side effects for up to 2 months. Serum anti-AChR levels in mAb35 + papain-treated rats decreased within a few hours, whereas in non-papain-treated rats they remained high for at least 30 h. Muscle AChR in mAb35 + papain-treated animals was partially protected from antibody-mediated degradation. These results show that treatment of rats with papain can prevent passively transferred EAMG without any apparent harm to the animals, and suggest a potential therapeutic use for proteolytic enzymes in myasthenia gravis.     

The thymus in myasthenia gravis. Changes typical for the human disease are absent in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis of the Lewis rat.

In human myasthenia gravis (MG) formation of autoantibodies against acetylcholine receptor (AChR) is commonly associated with thymic changes termed lymphofollicular hyperplasia (LFH). To learn whether the thymic lesions of human MG are primary changes in the autoimmune pathogenesis, or rather secondary events caused by peripheral autoimmunization, the authors compared the pathologic changes of MG thymuses with the thymuses of Lewis rats with experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). EAMG was induced either actively by immunization with AChR, or transferred passively with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) binding to AChR. The clinical diagnosis of EAMG was confirmed by electromyography. Germinal centers, which are typical for human MG thymuses, were not detectable in the thymus of EAMG rats. Scattered B cells were seen as normal components of the thymic medulla. In EAMG their number was not augmented, nor were they accumulated focally. The perivascular spaces (PVS) were not distended and the amount of reticulin was not increased. Thymic myoid cells were identified in EAMG as well as in control thymuses; their cellular microenvironment was inconspicuous. Both in normal and in EAMG thymuses, a subpopulation of myoid cells expressed the main immunogenic region of the AChR. Heavily affected rats showed a severe cortical involution, but no specific changes of the medulla. The fact that none of the thymic lesions characteristic for human MG was found in EAMG is compatible with the concept that the thymic changes in MG are primary events in the autoimmune pathogenesis of this disease.     

Overexpression of rapsyn in rat muscle increases acetylcholine receptor levels in chronic experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis

The primary autoantigen in myasthenia gravis, the acetylcholine receptor (AChR), is clustered and anchored in the postsynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction by rapsyn. Previously, we found that overexpression of rapsyn by cDNA transfection protects AChRs in rat muscles from antibody-mediated loss in passive transfer experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). Here, we determined whether rapsyn overexpression can reduce or even reverse AChR loss in muscles that are already damaged by chronic EAMG, which mimics the human disease. Active immunization against purified AChR was performed in female Lewis rats. Rapsyn overexpression resulted in an increase in total muscle membrane AChR levels, with some AChR at neuromuscular junctions but much of it in extrasynaptic membrane regions. At the ultrastructural level, most endplates in rapsyn-treated chronic EAMG muscles showed increased damage to the postsynaptic membrane. Although rapsyn overexpression stabilized AChRs in intact or mildly damaged endplates, the rapsyn-induced increase of membrane AChR enhanced autoantibody binding and membrane damage in severe ongoing disease. Thus, these results show the complexity of synaptic stabilization of AChR during the autoantibody attack. They also indicate that the expression of receptor-associated proteins may determine the severity of autoimmune diseases caused by anti-receptor antibodies.     

Role for interferon-gamma in rat strains with different susceptibility to experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis

Experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) is caused by autoantibodies against the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) at the neuromuscular postsynaptic membrane and represents an animal model of myasthenia gravis in human. Recent studies highlighted the roles of TH1 cytokines (IFN-gamma, IL-12), rather than TH2 cytokines (IL-4), in the pathogenesis of EAMG by using homozygous (-/-) knockout mice with an EAMG-susceptible genetic background. To further evaluate a role for IFN-gamma, we injected recombinant rat IFN-gamma (rrIFN-gamma) at the time of immunization with AChR in complete Freund's adjuvant to EAMG-susceptible Lewis rats and EAMG-resistant Wistar Furth (WF) rats. RrIFN-gamma enhanced Lewis rat EAMG. The exacerbated muscular weakness was associated with higher levels of anti-AChR IgG and enhanced TNF-alpha responses. Anti-AChR IgG antibody levels were augmented to a similar extent as in Lewis rats, however, the identical immunization and IFN-gamma injection induced only mild and transient EAMG in WF rats due to the default TH3 phenotype development and inherent low TH1 responses. We conclude that IFN-gamma plays a major role in the pathogenesis of EAMG in the Lewis rat, but fails to break disease resistance in the WF rat.     

IL-12 is involved in the induction of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis,an antibody- mediated disease

IL-12 has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of Th1-mediated autoimmune diseases, but its role in antibody-mediated autoimmune pathologies is still unclear. We investigated the effects of exogenous and endogenous IL-12 in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). EAMG is an animal model for myasthenia gravis, a T cell-dependent, autoantibody-mediated disorder of neuromuscular transmission caused by antibodies to the muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Administration of IL-12 with Torpedo AChR (ToAChR) to C57BL/6 (B6) mice resulted in increased ToAChR-specific IFN-γ production and increased anti-ToAChR IgG2a serum antibodies compared with B6 mice primed with ToAChR alone. These changes were associated with earlier and greater neurophysiological evidence of EAMG in the IL-12-treated mice, and reduced numbers of AChR. By contrast, when IL-12-deficient mice were immunized with ToAChR, ToAChR-specific Th1 cells and anti-ToAChR IgG2a serum antibodies were reduced compared to ToAChR-primed normal B6 mice, and the IL-12-deficient mice showed almost no neurophysiological evidence of EAMG and less reduction in AChR. These results indicate an important role of IL-12 in the induction of an antibody-mediated autoimmune disease, suggest that Th1-dependent complement-fixing IgG2a anti-AChR antibodies are involved in the pathogenesis of EAMG, and help to account for the lack of correlation between anti-AChR levels and clinical disease seen in many earlier studies.     

Treatment of experimental myasthenia gravis with total lymphoid irradiation

Total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) has been reported to be effective in the immunosuppressive treatment of certain human and experimental autoimmune disorders. We have investigated the effects of TLI in Lewis rats with experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) produced by immunization with purified torpedo acetylcholine receptor (AChR). The radiation is given in 17 divided fractions of 200 rad each, and nonlymphoid tissues are protected by lead shielding. This technique suppresses the immune system, while minimizing side effects, and permits the repopulation of the immune system by the patient's own bone marrow cells. Our results show that TLI treatment completely prevented the primary antibody response to immunization with torpedo AChR, it rapidly abolished the ongoing antibody response in established EAMG, and it suppressed the secondary (anamnestic) response to a boost of AChR. No EAMG animals died during TLI treatment, compared with six control animals that died of EAMG. TLI produces powerful and prompt immunosuppression and may eventually prove useful in the treatment of refractory human myasthenia gravis.     

Experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis and CD5+ B-lymphocyte expression

Myasthenia gravis is one of the typical organ specific autoimmune disease and the CD5+ B-lymphocytes are known to be associated with the secretion of autoimmune antibodies. The authors performed the study to establish an animal model of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) by immunizing the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and to understand CD5+ B-lymphocyte changes in peripheral blood of EAMGs. Lewis rats weighing 150-200 g were injected subcutaneously three times with 50 microg AChR purified from the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata and Freund's adjuvant. The EAMG induction was assessed by evaluating clinical manifestations. The CD5+ B-lymphocyte was double stained using monoclonal PE conjugated anti-CD5+ and FITC conjugated anti-rat CD45R antibodies and calculated using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). In three out of ten Lewis rats injected with purified AChR, the EAMG models were established. The animals showed definite clinical weakness responded to neostigmine; they had difficulty in climbing the slope, or easily fell down from a vertical cage. The range of CD5+ B-lymphocytes of peripheral blood in the EAMG models was 10.2%-17.5%, which was higher than in controls. In conclusion, the EAMG models were successfully established and the CD5+ B-lymphocyte expression in peripheral blood increased in EAMGs. This provided indirect evidence of the autoimmune pathomechanism of human myasthenia gravis.     

Animal models of myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an antibody-mediated, autoimmune neuromuscular disease. Animal models of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) can be induced in vertebrates by immunization with Torpedo californica acetylcholine receptors (AChR) in complete Freund's adjuvant. The MHC class II genes influence the cellular and humoral immune response to AChR and are involved in the development of clinical EAMG in mice. A dominant epitope within the AChR alpha146-162 region activates MHC class II-restricted CD4 cells and is involved in the production of pathogenic anti-AChR antibodies by B cells. Neonatal or adult tolerance to this T-cell epitope could prevent EAMG. During an immune response to AChR in vivo, multiple TCR genes are used. The CD28-B7 and CD40L-CD40 interaction is required during the primary immune response to AChR. However, CTLA-4 blockade augmented T- and B-cell immune response to AChR and disease. Cytokines IFN-gamma and IL-12 upregulate, while IFN-alpha downregulates, EAMG pathogenesis. However, the Th2 cytokine IL-4 fails to play a significant role in the development of antibody-mediated EAMG. Systemic or mucosal tolerance to AChR or its dominant peptide(s) has prevented EAMG in an antigen-specific manner. Antigen-specific tolerance and downregulation of pathogenic cytokines could achieve effective therapy of EAMG and probably MG.     

T-cell vaccination in experimental myasthenia gravis: A double-edged sword

Immunization with antigen-specific T cells has been used successfully in the treatment of several T cell-mediated experimental autoimmune diseases, including experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, thyroiditis, and adjuvant arthritis. The aim of this study was to determine whether T-cell vaccination could be used to down-regulate specifically the antibody response to AChR in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG), an antibody-mediated disorder. We produced T cells specific for the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) by immunizing Lewis rats with torpedo AChR, harvesting the regional lymph node cells, and restimulating them in vitro with AChR. This cell population was expanded with IL2. The cells were then activated with concanavalin A (Con-A) and exposed to high hydrostatic pressure to augment their immunogenicity. We found that rats vaccinated with these cells did not manifest decreased antibody titers to AChR, when challenged. In fact, the antibody response to AChR was consistently potentiated by the vaccine treatment. This result could not be attributed to antigen carryover by the vaccinating cells or to induction of anti-idiotypic antibodies. Despite these results showing overall enhancement of the AChR antibody response, we found evidence of AChR-specific suppressor cells in the spleens of the vaccinated animals. Our observations indicate that T-cell vaccination can elicit both a positive immune response and a suppressive response in the same animal. If the T-cell vaccination strategy is to be useful for the treatment of MG, methods for amplifying the suppressive effect will need to be developed.     

Anti-TNF-alpha antibodies suppress the development of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis

To understand the role of TNF-alpha in the induction of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) and detect a possible effect of anti-TNF-alpha antibodies in the treatment of EAMG, anti-TNF-alpha antibodies were administrated intraperitoneally to Lewis rats twice per week for 5 weeks from the day of immunization with Torpedo AChR and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Administration of anti-TNF-alpha antibodies resulted in lower incidence of EAMG, and in delayed onset and only mild muscle weakness compared with control EAMG rats. These mild clinical signs were accompanied by lower AChR-specific lymphocyte proliferation, down-regulated IFN-gamma and IL-10, and up-regulated TGF-beta. The lower levels of anti-AChR IgG, Ig2a and IgG2b and decreased anti-AChR IgG affinity were found in rats treated with anti-TNF-alpha antibodies. These results demonstrate that anti-TNF-alpha antibodies can suppress the induction and development of EAMG.     

受体相关蛋白对实验性自身免疫性重症肌无力的乙酰胆碱受体的作用

目的：探讨受体相关蛋白(Rapsyn)对实验性自身免疫性重症肌无力(EAMG)动物终板乙酰胆碱受体的作用。方法：用基因工程的方法制备提取pcDNA-Rapsyn，并将其注入动物肌肉左大腿外侧，右大腿相应部位注射相同剂量的空白质粒(Vector)，以方波刺激使其进入细胞膜内，2周后用单克隆抗体35(mAb35)诱导出EAMG模型并进行症状评估，mAb35诱导48小时后取双大腿外侧肌，用放射免疫法检测AChR，并计算出AChR的损失率。结果：在EAMG模型中，被pcDNA-Rapsyn预处理的肌肉AChR损失率明显低于未经处理的肌肉。结论：Rapsyn蛋白对EAMG模型的AChR有保护作用。     

The effect of thalidomide on experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis

Thalidomide is reported to have immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects which have led to its use in the treatment of a number of immune-mediated disorders including leprosy, prurigo, discoid lupus, and Behcet's disease. In addition, thalidomide has recently been used to prevent immunological rejection phenomena following skin and bone-marrow grafts. The immune responses in these conditions are thought to be cell-mediated. However, little is known about the effectiveness of thalidomide in suppressing antibody-mediated immune responses. In the present study, we have examined the effect of thalidomide in a model antibody-mediated autoimmune disorder--experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). To induce EAMG, Lewis rats were immunized with acetylcholine receptor (AChR) purified from the electric organ of Torpedo californicus. Groups of rats were treated daily, either with thalidomide in excess of doses reported to prevent graft-versus-host (GVH) disease in bone-marrow-transplanted rats, or with control treatments. Our results show that thalidomide failed to inhibit AChR antibody production despite good absorption and high blood levels of the drug. This suggests that thalidomide is not likely to be generally useful in the treatment of antibody-mediated autoimmune conditions. However the selective effect of thalidomide in suppressing certain presumably cellular immune responses, while sparing antibody production, is inherently interesting, and merits further study.     

T-Cell Immunity to Acetylcholine Receptor and its Subunits in Lewis Rats over the Course of Experimental Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis

Lymph nodes, spleen and thymus obtained from Lewis rats were examined over the course of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) for the distribution and the number of antigen-reactive CD4⁺ T helper cells which, upon recognition of Torpedo acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or the α, β, γ or δ subunits of Torpedo AChR, responded by secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). T cells with these specificities were detected in these three immune organs. Numbers were highest in lymph nodes. In spleen and thymus, numbers of antigen-reactive T cells did not differ. T cells reacting against the intact AChR were more frequent than T cells recognizing any of the subunits. The immunogenicity between the four subunits did not differ, with the exception that the α subunit induced a slightly higher T-cell response. No restriction of the T-cell repertoire to the four subunits was detected during early compared to late phases of EAMG. The AChR and subunit-reactive T cells could—via secretion of effector molecules including IFN-γ—play an important role in the initiation and perpetuation of EAMG. and consequently also of human myasthenia gravis. T cells with the same specificities were also detected in control animals injected with adjuvant only, but at much lower numbers which were within the range of T cells recognizing the control antigen myelin basic protein. They could represent naturally occurring autoimmune T cells.     

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 is critically involved in the development of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (TNFR1, CD120a) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several experimental models of T cell-mediated autoimmune disorders, but its role in antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases has not been addressed. Experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG), an autoantibody-mediated T cell-dependent neuromuscular disorder, represents an animal model for myasthenia gravis in human. To investigate the role of TNFR1 in the pathogenesis of EAMG, TNFR1(-/-) and wild-type mice were immunized with TORPEDO: acetylcholine receptor (AChR) in complete Freund's adjuvant. TNFR1(-/-) mice failed to develop EAMG. Lymphoid cells from TNFR1(-/-) mice produced low amounts of T(h)1 (IFN-gamma, IL-2 and IL-12)-type cytokines, but elevated levels of T(h)2 (IL-4 and IL-10)-type cytokines compared with lymphoid cells of wild-type mice. Accordingly, the levels of anti-AChR IgG2 antibodies were severely reduced and the level of anti-AChR IgG1 antibodies were moderately reduced. Co-injection of recombinant mouse IL-12 with AChR in adjuvant restored T cell responses to AChR and promoted development of EAMG in TNFR1(-/-) mice. These results demonstrate that the TNF/TNFR1 system is required for the development of EAMG. The lack of a functional TNF/TNFR1 system can, at least in part, be substituted by IL-12 at the stage of initial priming with AChR and adjuvant.     

Rat models as tool to develop new immunotherapies

Summary: Rat models (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, EAE; myasthenia gravis, EAMG) have been developed that mimic certain aspects of the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) and myasthenia gravis (MG) in humans. Rat EAE and EAMG are, therefore, widely used to evaluate immunotherapeutic strategies. Mucosal tolerance induced by oral or nasal administration of autoantigen effectively suppresses rat EAE and EAMG. Nasal administration of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10 or transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 also ameliorates clinical signs of rat EAE. However, neither mucosal tolerance nor cytokines affect clinical disease if administered during ongoing rat EAE or EAMG. Dendritic cells (DC) pulsed in vitro with autoantigen can mediate peripheral tolerance against rat EAE and EAMG, but do not affect ongoing EAE or EAMG. DC from healthy rats, modified in vitro by exposure to IFN-γ or TGF-β1, effectively suppress ongoing EAE and EAMG when given by the subcutaneous route. Most importantly, DC from EAMG rats, after being modified in vitro with IL-10, also inhibit ongoing rat EAMG. These results demonstrate that different strategies influencing T- and/or B-cell responses in rat EAE or EAMG are available, but that DC-based immunotherapies are the most promising, in order to ameliorate ongoing organ-specific autoaggressive immunity. Based on these observations, autologous DC, after being modified in vitro with cytokines, constitute a basis for new immunotherapeutic strategies in MS, MG and other diseases with autoimmune background.     

In vitro and in vivo actions of acetylcholine receptor educated suppressor T cell lines in murine experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis.

Immunization of C57Bl/6 mice with Torpedo acetylcholine receptor (AChR) leads to EAMG, experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis, with characteristic clinical, electrophysiological, and immune features. Present in the lymphoid organs of mice with EAMG are AChR specific suppressor T cells: these cells can be grown in vitro as T cell lines. These lines are able to suppress the in vitro response to AChR, and can suppress the in vivo development of EAMG.