Mechanisms of protection from induced EAE

In MS immune cells called “T cells” enter the brain and regulate the inflammatory process, which is critical in the development of the pathological changes seen in MS. Our work has looked at the dynamic changes in the secretion of regulatory molecules – termed cytokines – by different subsets of T cells which occurs following migration into the brain. This work has identified that after migration into the brain, the major Th1 population of cells produce cytokines in a carefully orchestrated manner. This work challenges currently fashionable hypotheses about T cell differentiation within the brain that are based on culturing T cells in incubators for 10-14 days in conditions that are heavily manipulated by investigators.