Study of the gene regulation of IL-17A and IFNy in encephalitogenic CD4 T cells during the clinical evolution of the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced in C57BL/6 mice

• Grant number: 16/14100-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2016
• End date: November 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Alessandro dos Santos Farias
• Grantee: Bruna Bueno de Campos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) serves as experimental model of multiple sclerosis (MS) since both diseases share clinical and histopathological similarities. EAE is a CD4+ T cell-mediated autoimmune disease. Although it is clear that encephalitogenic CD4+ T cells perform a proinflammatory activity, how these T helper cells are able to exert effector role during the clinical phase of the disease it is not completely elucidated. EAE was firstly described as a Th1-mediated disease, but later the importance of Th17 subtype to the development of the EAE became clear. Some evidences have indicated that CD4+ T lymphocytes may present a cytotoxic profile under special conditions. Recently, we demonstrated that encephalitogenic CD4 T cells do acquire a cytotoxic profile during the evolution of the EAE. We also observed that the cytotoxity-related molecules are expressed only by cells which express IFNy as well. Therefore, our propose here is to investigate the relation among the cytotoxity-related transcription factors, the appearance of the cytotoxic profile and the expression of IFNy and of IL-17 in encephalitogenic CD4 T cells during the clinical evolution of the EAE induced in C57BL/6 mice. (AU)