Neuregulin in neuron/glial interactions in the central nervous system: GGF2 diminishes autoimmune demyelination, promotes oligodendrocyte progenitor expansion, and enhances remyelination

Mark A. Marchionni, Barbara Cannella, Carolyn Hoban, Yan Ling Gao, Renee Garcia-Arenas, Deborah Lawson, Elizebeth Happel, Florence Noel, Philip Tofilon, David Gwynne, Cedric S. Raine

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

42 Scopus citations

Abstract

Glial growth factor 2 (GGF2) is a neuronal signal that promotes the proliferation and survival of the oligodendrocyte, the myelinating cell of the central nervous system (CNS). This study has focused on recombinant human GGF2 (rhGGF2) and it's potential to affect clinical recovery and repair to damaged myelin in chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the mouse, a major animal model for the human demyelinating disease, multiple sclerosis (MS). Mice, with EAE were treated with rhGGF2 during both the acute and relapsing phases, and GGF2 treatment led to delayed signs, decreased severity and resulted in statistically significant reductions in relapse rate. Further, rhGGF2-treated groups displayed CNS lesions with more remyelination than in controls. This correlated with increased expression of myelin basic protein exon 2, a marker for remyelination, and with an increase of the regulatory cytokine, IL-10. Thus, a beneficial effect of a neurotrophic growth factor has been demonstrated upon the clinical, pathologic and molecular manifestations of autoimmune demyelination, an effect that was associated with increased expression of a Th2 cytokine, rhGGF2 treatment may represent a novel approach to the treatment of MS (Cannella et al., 1998).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)283-295
Number of pages13
JournalAdvances in experimental medicine and biology
Volume468
StatePublished - 2000

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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