Oral Tolerance Induction in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis with Candida utilis Expressing the Immunogenic MOG35-55 Peptide.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that attacks myelinated axons in the central nervous system. Induction of oral tolerance is a potent mechanism to prevent autoimmunity. The food yeast Candida utilis was used to test the therapeutic potential of oral tolerance induction in an animal m...

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Main Authors: Christoph Buerth, Anne K Mausberg, Maximilian K Heininger, Hans-Peter Hartung, Bernd C Kieseier, Joachim F Ernst
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4861260?pdf=render
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author Christoph Buerth
Anne K Mausberg
Maximilian K Heininger
Hans-Peter Hartung
Bernd C Kieseier
Joachim F Ernst
author_facet Christoph Buerth
Anne K Mausberg
Maximilian K Heininger
Hans-Peter Hartung
Bernd C Kieseier
Joachim F Ernst
author_sort Christoph Buerth
collection DOAJ
description Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that attacks myelinated axons in the central nervous system. Induction of oral tolerance is a potent mechanism to prevent autoimmunity. The food yeast Candida utilis was used to test the therapeutic potential of oral tolerance induction in an animal model of human multiple sclerosis (MS). We constructed a C. utilis strain, which displays a fusion peptide composed of the encephalitogenic MOG35-55 peptide and the C. utilis Gas1 cell wall protein on its surface.By immunizing mice with MOG35-55 peptide experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was induced in a mouse model. Feeding of mice with C. utilis that expresses MOG35-55 peptide on its surface was started seven days prior to immunization and was continued for ten days. Control animals were treated with wild-type fungus or left untreated. Untreated mice developed first clinical symptoms ten days post immunization (p. i.) with an ascending paralysis reaching maximal clinical disability at day 18 to 20 p. i.. Treatment with the wild-type strain demonstrated comparable clinical symptoms. In contrast, oral gavage of MOG35-55-presenting fungus ameliorated the development of EAE. In addition, incidence as well as maximal clinical disease severity were significantly reduced. Interestingly, reduction of disease severity also occurred in animals treated with heat-inactivated C. utilis cells indicating that tolerance induction was independent of fungal viability. Better disease outcome correlated with reduced demyelination and cellular inflammation in the spinal cord, lower T cell proliferation against rechallenge with MOG35-55 and more regulatory T cells in the lymph nodes. Our data demonstrate successful that using the food approved fungus C. utilis presenting the immunogenic MOG35-55 peptide on its surface induced an oral tolerance against this epitope in EAE. Further studies will reveal the nature and extent of an anti-inflammatory environment established by the treatment that prevents the development of an autoimmune disorder affecting the CNS.
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spelling doaj.art-6c60546e03434e60931d900dcbf8eeec2022-12-22T03:16:01ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032016-01-01115e015508210.1371/journal.pone.0155082Oral Tolerance Induction in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis with Candida utilis Expressing the Immunogenic MOG35-55 Peptide.Christoph BuerthAnne K MausbergMaximilian K HeiningerHans-Peter HartungBernd C KieseierJoachim F ErnstMultiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that attacks myelinated axons in the central nervous system. Induction of oral tolerance is a potent mechanism to prevent autoimmunity. The food yeast Candida utilis was used to test the therapeutic potential of oral tolerance induction in an animal model of human multiple sclerosis (MS). We constructed a C. utilis strain, which displays a fusion peptide composed of the encephalitogenic MOG35-55 peptide and the C. utilis Gas1 cell wall protein on its surface.By immunizing mice with MOG35-55 peptide experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was induced in a mouse model. Feeding of mice with C. utilis that expresses MOG35-55 peptide on its surface was started seven days prior to immunization and was continued for ten days. Control animals were treated with wild-type fungus or left untreated. Untreated mice developed first clinical symptoms ten days post immunization (p. i.) with an ascending paralysis reaching maximal clinical disability at day 18 to 20 p. i.. Treatment with the wild-type strain demonstrated comparable clinical symptoms. In contrast, oral gavage of MOG35-55-presenting fungus ameliorated the development of EAE. In addition, incidence as well as maximal clinical disease severity were significantly reduced. Interestingly, reduction of disease severity also occurred in animals treated with heat-inactivated C. utilis cells indicating that tolerance induction was independent of fungal viability. Better disease outcome correlated with reduced demyelination and cellular inflammation in the spinal cord, lower T cell proliferation against rechallenge with MOG35-55 and more regulatory T cells in the lymph nodes. Our data demonstrate successful that using the food approved fungus C. utilis presenting the immunogenic MOG35-55 peptide on its surface induced an oral tolerance against this epitope in EAE. Further studies will reveal the nature and extent of an anti-inflammatory environment established by the treatment that prevents the development of an autoimmune disorder affecting the CNS.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4861260?pdf=render
spellingShingle Christoph Buerth
Anne K Mausberg
Maximilian K Heininger
Hans-Peter Hartung
Bernd C Kieseier
Joachim F Ernst
Oral Tolerance Induction in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis with Candida utilis Expressing the Immunogenic MOG35-55 Peptide.
PLoS ONE
title Oral Tolerance Induction in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis with Candida utilis Expressing the Immunogenic MOG35-55 Peptide.
title_full Oral Tolerance Induction in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis with Candida utilis Expressing the Immunogenic MOG35-55 Peptide.
title_fullStr Oral Tolerance Induction in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis with Candida utilis Expressing the Immunogenic MOG35-55 Peptide.
title_full_unstemmed Oral Tolerance Induction in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis with Candida utilis Expressing the Immunogenic MOG35-55 Peptide.
title_short Oral Tolerance Induction in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis with Candida utilis Expressing the Immunogenic MOG35-55 Peptide.
title_sort oral tolerance induction in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis with candida utilis expressing the immunogenic mog35 55 peptide
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4861260?pdf=render
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