B cell function impacts the efficacy of IFN- β therapy in EAE

Recent studies identified that interferon beta (IFN- β) treatment skews B-cells towards a regulatory phenotype in multiple sclerosis. To assess B cell involvement during IFN-β therapy, we compared IFN-β treatment in a B cell-independent model and a B cell-dependent model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We show that in B cell-ind ependent EAE, IFN-β ameliorates neuroinflammation. Conversely, in B cell-dependent EAE IFN-β has no effect on disease. Effective IFN-β therapy in B cell-independent EAE was associated with reduced inflammatory T cells in the CNS and skewed splenic B cells towards an immature population and away f rom a germinal center population.
Source: Journal of Neuroimmunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Source Type: research