Cytokine-neuroantigen fusion proteins as a new class of tolerogenic, therapeutic vaccines for treatment of inflammatory demyelinating disease in rodent models of multiple sclerosis

Myelin-specific induction of tolerance represents a promising means to modify the course of autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Our laboratory has focused on a novel preclinical strategy for the induction of tolerance to the major encephalitogenic epitope...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mark D. Mannie, J. Lori Blanchfield, S. M. Touhidul eIslam, Derek J. Abbott
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2012-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fimmu.2012.00255/full
_version_ 1811261124034691072
author Mark D. Mannie
J. Lori Blanchfield
S. M. Touhidul eIslam
Derek J. Abbott
author_facet Mark D. Mannie
J. Lori Blanchfield
S. M. Touhidul eIslam
Derek J. Abbott
author_sort Mark D. Mannie
collection DOAJ
description Myelin-specific induction of tolerance represents a promising means to modify the course of autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Our laboratory has focused on a novel preclinical strategy for the induction of tolerance to the major encephalitogenic epitopes of myelin that cause experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in rats and mice. This novel approach is based on the use of cytokine-NAg (neuroantigen) fusion proteins comprised of the native cytokine fused either with or without a linker to a NAg domain. Several single-chain cytokine-NAg fusion proteins were tested including GMCSF-NAg, IFNbeta-NAg, NAgIL16, and IL2-NAg. These cytokine-NAg vaccines were tolerogenic, therapeutic vaccines that had tolerogenic activity when given as pre-treatments before encephalitogenic immunization and also were effective as therapeutic interventions during the effector phase of EAE. The rank order of inhibitory activity was: GMCSF-NAg, IFNbeta-NAg > NAgIL16 > IL2-NAg > MCSF-NAg, IL4-NAg, IL13-NAg, IL1RA-NAg, and NAg. Several cytokine-NAg fusion proteins exhibited antigen-targeting activity. High affinity binding of the cytokine domain to specific-cytokine receptors on particular subsets of APC resulted in the concentrated uptake of the NAg domain by those APC which in turn facilitated the enhanced processing and presentation of the NAg domain on cell surface MHC class II (MHCII) glycoproteins. For most cytokine-NAg vaccines, the covalent linkage of the cytokine domain and NAg domain was required for inhibition of EAE, thereby indicating that antigenic targeting of the NAg domain to APC was also required in vivo for tolerogenic activity. Overall, these studies introduced a new concept of cytokine-NAg fusion proteins as a means to induce tolerance and to inhibit the effector phase of autoimmune disease. The approach has broad application for suppressive vaccination as a therapy for autoimmune diseases such as MS.
first_indexed 2024-04-12T18:57:46Z
format Article
id doaj.art-80f17742a4f7415bb4cc76b0daed707a
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1664-3224
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-12T18:57:46Z
publishDate 2012-08-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Immunology
spelling doaj.art-80f17742a4f7415bb4cc76b0daed707a2022-12-22T03:20:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242012-08-01310.3389/fimmu.2012.0025527532Cytokine-neuroantigen fusion proteins as a new class of tolerogenic, therapeutic vaccines for treatment of inflammatory demyelinating disease in rodent models of multiple sclerosisMark D. Mannie0J. Lori Blanchfield1S. M. Touhidul eIslam2Derek J. Abbott3East Carolina UniversityEmory UniversityEast Carolina UniversityEast Carolina UniversityMyelin-specific induction of tolerance represents a promising means to modify the course of autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Our laboratory has focused on a novel preclinical strategy for the induction of tolerance to the major encephalitogenic epitopes of myelin that cause experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in rats and mice. This novel approach is based on the use of cytokine-NAg (neuroantigen) fusion proteins comprised of the native cytokine fused either with or without a linker to a NAg domain. Several single-chain cytokine-NAg fusion proteins were tested including GMCSF-NAg, IFNbeta-NAg, NAgIL16, and IL2-NAg. These cytokine-NAg vaccines were tolerogenic, therapeutic vaccines that had tolerogenic activity when given as pre-treatments before encephalitogenic immunization and also were effective as therapeutic interventions during the effector phase of EAE. The rank order of inhibitory activity was: GMCSF-NAg, IFNbeta-NAg > NAgIL16 > IL2-NAg > MCSF-NAg, IL4-NAg, IL13-NAg, IL1RA-NAg, and NAg. Several cytokine-NAg fusion proteins exhibited antigen-targeting activity. High affinity binding of the cytokine domain to specific-cytokine receptors on particular subsets of APC resulted in the concentrated uptake of the NAg domain by those APC which in turn facilitated the enhanced processing and presentation of the NAg domain on cell surface MHC class II (MHCII) glycoproteins. For most cytokine-NAg vaccines, the covalent linkage of the cytokine domain and NAg domain was required for inhibition of EAE, thereby indicating that antigenic targeting of the NAg domain to APC was also required in vivo for tolerogenic activity. Overall, these studies introduced a new concept of cytokine-NAg fusion proteins as a means to induce tolerance and to inhibit the effector phase of autoimmune disease. The approach has broad application for suppressive vaccination as a therapy for autoimmune diseases such as MS.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fimmu.2012.00255/fullInterferon-betaMultiple SclerosisExperimental autoimmune encephalomyelitisimmunological toleranceautoimmune demyelinationcytokine-antigen fusion protein
spellingShingle Mark D. Mannie
J. Lori Blanchfield
S. M. Touhidul eIslam
Derek J. Abbott
Cytokine-neuroantigen fusion proteins as a new class of tolerogenic, therapeutic vaccines for treatment of inflammatory demyelinating disease in rodent models of multiple sclerosis
Frontiers in Immunology
Interferon-beta
Multiple Sclerosis
Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
immunological tolerance
autoimmune demyelination
cytokine-antigen fusion protein
title Cytokine-neuroantigen fusion proteins as a new class of tolerogenic, therapeutic vaccines for treatment of inflammatory demyelinating disease in rodent models of multiple sclerosis
title_full Cytokine-neuroantigen fusion proteins as a new class of tolerogenic, therapeutic vaccines for treatment of inflammatory demyelinating disease in rodent models of multiple sclerosis
title_fullStr Cytokine-neuroantigen fusion proteins as a new class of tolerogenic, therapeutic vaccines for treatment of inflammatory demyelinating disease in rodent models of multiple sclerosis
title_full_unstemmed Cytokine-neuroantigen fusion proteins as a new class of tolerogenic, therapeutic vaccines for treatment of inflammatory demyelinating disease in rodent models of multiple sclerosis
title_short Cytokine-neuroantigen fusion proteins as a new class of tolerogenic, therapeutic vaccines for treatment of inflammatory demyelinating disease in rodent models of multiple sclerosis
title_sort cytokine neuroantigen fusion proteins as a new class of tolerogenic therapeutic vaccines for treatment of inflammatory demyelinating disease in rodent models of multiple sclerosis
topic Interferon-beta
Multiple Sclerosis
Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
immunological tolerance
autoimmune demyelination
cytokine-antigen fusion protein
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fimmu.2012.00255/full
work_keys_str_mv AT markdmannie cytokineneuroantigenfusionproteinsasanewclassoftolerogenictherapeuticvaccinesfortreatmentofinflammatorydemyelinatingdiseaseinrodentmodelsofmultiplesclerosis
AT jloriblanchfield cytokineneuroantigenfusionproteinsasanewclassoftolerogenictherapeuticvaccinesfortreatmentofinflammatorydemyelinatingdiseaseinrodentmodelsofmultiplesclerosis
AT smtouhiduleislam cytokineneuroantigenfusionproteinsasanewclassoftolerogenictherapeuticvaccinesfortreatmentofinflammatorydemyelinatingdiseaseinrodentmodelsofmultiplesclerosis
AT derekjabbott cytokineneuroantigenfusionproteinsasanewclassoftolerogenictherapeuticvaccinesfortreatmentofinflammatorydemyelinatingdiseaseinrodentmodelsofmultiplesclerosis