| First Author | Aarts SA | Year | 2019 |
| Journal | J Pathol | Volume | 247 |
| Issue | 4 | Pages | 471-480 |
| PubMed ID | 30471110 | Mgi Jnum | J:275411 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6287037 | Doi | 10.1002/path.5205 |
| Citation | Aarts SA, et al. (2019) Macrophage CD40 signaling drives experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. J Pathol 247(4):471-480 |
| abstractText | The costimulatory CD40L-CD40 dyad plays a major role in multiple sclerosis (MS). CD40 is highly expressed on MHCII(+) B cells, dendritic cells and macrophages in human MS lesions. Here we investigated the role of the CD40 downstream signaling intermediates TNF receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2) and TRAF6 in MHCII(+) cells in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Both MHCII-CD40-Traf2(-/-) and MHCII-CD40-Traf6(-/-) mice showed a reduction in clinical signs of EAE and prevented demyelination. However, only MHCII-CD40-Traf6(-/-) mice displayed a decrease in myeloid and lymphoid cell infiltration into the CNS that was accompanied by reduced levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IFN-gamma. As CD40-TRAF6 interactions predominantly occur in macrophages, we subjected CD40(flfl) LysM(cre) mice to EAE. This myeloid-specific deletion of CD40 resulted in a significant reduction in EAE severity, reduced CNS inflammation and demyelination. In conclusion, the CD40-TRAF6 signaling pathway in MHCII(+) cells plays a key role in neuroinflammation and demyelination during EAE. Concomitant with the fact that CD40-TRAF6 interactions are predominant in macrophages, depletion of myeloid CD40 also reduces neuroinflammation. CD40-TRAF6 interactions thus represent a promising therapeutic target for MS. (c) 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. |
