Antigen-Specific Therapy Promotes Repair of Myelin and Axonal Damage in Established EAE

The study investigates the potential of an antigen-specific therapy, RTL401, to repair myelin and axonal damage in established EAE, an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Mice with established EAE were treated with RTL401 after the peak of the disease to assess its impact on neuroinflammation and myelin/axon damage. The results showed that RTL401 significantly reduced inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS), leading to a reduction in demyelination, axonal loss, and ongoing damage. Electron microscopy confirmed reduced pathology and increased remyelination in RTL-treated mice. These findings suggest that antigen-specific therapy targeting encephalitogenic T cells can promote neuro-regenerative processes in the CNS, offering a potential therapeutic strategy for MS.

• 1
  RTL401 treatment, administered after the peak of EAE, significantly lowered disease scores and the cumulative disease index (CDI) in mice, indicating a therapeutic effect during the relapsing phase of the disease.
• 2
  RTL401 treatment markedly reduced tissue damage in the dorsal and lateral/ventral thoracic spinal cords, with a significant decrease in demyelination compared to vehicle-treated mice.
• 3
  RTL401 treatment significantly reversed the progression of axonal injury and neuroinflammation, as demonstrated by reduced axonal loss and fewer inflammatory mononuclear cells in the spinal cords of treated mice.