Preclinical Retinal Neurodegeneration in a Model of Multiple Sclerosis

Neurodegeneration plays a major role in multiple sclerosis (MS), in which it is thought to be the main determinant of permanent disability. However, the relationship between the immune response and the onset of neurodegeneration is still a matter of debate. Moreover, recent findings in MS patients raised the question of whether primary neurodegenerative changes can occur in the retina independent of optic nerve inflammation. Using a rat model of MS that frequently leads to optic neuritis, we have investigated the interconnection between neurodegenerative and inflammatory changes in the retina and the optic nerves with special focus on preclinical disease stages. We report that, before manif…

Genetic Deletion of JNK1 and JNK2 Aggravates the DSS-Induced Colitis in Mice

The c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) are considered as novel targets for therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). However, the relevant JNK isoforms have to be elucidated. Here, we analyze the individual contribution of the JNK1 and JNK2 isoforms in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) model of experimental colitis. JNK1 and JNK2 knockout mice (JNK1 ko, JNK2 ko) and their wild-type controls (WT1, WT2) received three cycles of DSS treatment, each consisting of 1.7% DSS for 5 days, followed by 5 days with water. Animals were daily evaluated by a disease activity index (DAI) comprising measurement of body weight, estimation of stool consistency, and test for occult blood/gross rectal bleeding. A…

Cooperation of Human Tumor-Reactive CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells after Redirection of Their Specificity by a High-Affinity p53A2.1-Specific TCR

Abstract Efficient immune attack of malignant disease requires the concerted action of both CD8 + CTL and CD4 + Th cells. We used human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*0201 (A2.1) transgenic mice, in which the mouse CD8 molecule cannot efficiently interact with the α3 domain of A2.1, to generate a high-affinity, CD8-independent T cell receptor (TCR) specific for a commonly expressed, tumor-associated cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope derived from the human p53 tumor suppressor protein. Retroviral expression of this CD8-independent, p53-specific TCR into human T cells imparted the CD8 + T lymphocytes with broad tumor-specific CTL activity and turned CD4 + T cells into potent tumor-reactive, p53…

Targeting Acute Leukemia and Cancer by High-Affinity T-Cell-Receptor Transfer

Accumulation and subsequent overexpression of human mdm2 (hdm2) and altered p53 protein is associated with high-level presentation of hdm2 and wild-type (wt) p53 derived peptides by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules on a wide range of malignant cells. A major barrier to the design of broad-spectrum hdm2 and p53 specific immunotherapeutics for leukemia and cancer, however, has been the observation that low-level expression of hdm2 and wt p53 peptides by non-transformed tissues and cells results in self-tolerance of T-lymphocytes with high avidity for self-class I MHC / self-peptide complexes. Although the peripheral T-cell repertoire is mostly devoid of such high-avidi…

Gentherapeutischer T-Zell-Rezeptor-Transfer