Alleviation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by transferring low RelB expression tolerogenic dendritic cells

Aims: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a widely used mouse model of multiple sclerosis. Rather than inducing immune response, tolerogenic dendritic cells (tDCs) have the ability to induce immune tolerance. In previous studies, we induced tDCs by 1,25-(OH)₂D₃ and 1,25-(OH)₂D₃ DCs significantly alleviated EAE symptoms. As downstream targets of 1,25-(OH)₂D₃, inhibition of RelB and MyD88 expression in DCs might induce tDCs and has therapeutic effect of MS.

Methods: Knockdown the expression of RelB and MyD88 with shRNA lentivirus to induce tDCs, adoptive transfer these tDCs to EAE mice, and investigate their therapeutic effects.

Results: Reduction of RelB expression induced tDCs. After transferring into EAE mice, tDCs with low RelB expression significantly alleviate their symptoms as well as reduce the immune cell infiltration and demyelination in spinal cord.

Conclusion: RelB plays a key role in the antigen presenting function of DCs, and tDCs with low RelB expression is a potential treatment for EAE and MS.