Citotoxic profile of CD4+ T cells during the clinical evolution of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

• Grant number: 12/05158-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2012
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Alessandro dos Santos Farias
• Grantee: Guilherme Antonio Dutra Morais
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/18728-5 - Study of migratory, effector and regulatory pattern of autoreactive t lymphocytes, previously transduced with GFP in experimental demyelinating diseases, AP.JP

Abstract

The Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) is the experimental model for human Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The EAE has been helping to understand the inflammatory mechanisms of MS and to test and develop new drugs. The inflammatory response during EAE is characterized by mononuclear cell infiltration in the central nervous system (CNS) and, consequently, destruction of myelin. The EAE can be transferred to healthy animals by the injection of T CD4+ lymphocytes previously sensitized with CNS myelin components. However, little is known about how these cells initiate the inflammatory process. Our preliminary data show that these autoreactive T CD4+ lymphocytes have a high expression of cytotoxic molecules like granzymes B; C and perforin. These cytotoxic molecules' expressions could explain the direct action of the autoreactive T CD4+ lymphocytes on the demyelination caused by the inflammatory process on EAE. Therefore, our aim is to better evaluate these molecules' expression during the clinical evolution of the disease and their role in the generation and maintenance of the autoreactive response during EAE. (AU)