Neuroantigen-specific, tolerogenic vaccines: GM-CSF is a fusion partner that facilitates tolerance rather than immunity to dominant self-epitopes of myelin in murine models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)

Table 5 The GMCSF-MOG TTV was an intervention that reversed an established course of chronic EAE

Treatment^a	Mean cumulative score^b	Median cumulative score^b	Mean maximal score^b	Median maximal score^b	Incidence of EAE	Mean # days with severe EAE
Saline	47.9 ± 19.8	41.8	2.7 ± 0.5	3.0	6 of 6	20.0 ± 1.4
MOG35-55	27.6 ± 17.9	20.0	1.8 ± 0.8	2.0	6 of 6	13.8 ± 6.5
GMCSF-MOG	6.8 ± 4.6	4.5	0.8 ± 0.6	0.5	6 of 6	1.7 ± 2.7
TTV vs MOG35-55	p = 0.008		p = 0.034		----	p = 0.051
TTV vs saline	p < 0.001		p < 0.001		----	p = 0.001

^a Passive EAE was induced in C57BL/6 mice by adoptive transfer of activated MOG35-55-specific T cells on day 0 and by injection of Pertussis toxin on days 0 and 2. Mice were matched for EAE severity on day 9 (mean maximal severity of 0.8 and an incidence of 100% for all groups), and were then treated with GMCSF-MOG TTV or controls (subcutaneous in saline) on day 9 (4 nanomoles), day 11 (4 nanomoles), and day 14 (2 nanomoles). Mice were challenged with MOG35-55 in CFA on day 42 and Pertussis toxin was injected i.p. on days 42 and 44 to elicit a second bout of active EAE. Table 5 and Figure 9 represent the same data.
^b The cumulative and maximal scores were assessed from days 12-70, and the incidence of severe EAE was assessed from days 15-70. An alternative clinical scale was used for this experiment (0.5, tail involvement; 1.0, ataxia, 2.0 partial paralysis, 3.0, full paralysis), and mean number of days with severe EAE was assessed from days 44-70 during the active challenge. Severe EAE was defined as a clinical score of 1.0 or greater.

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