Application of glycolipid treatment for multiple sclerosis

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This group of investigators has already clarified that a glycolipid compound referred to as OCH, that is stimulatory for NKT cells, could inhibit the development of the animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) by inducing Th2 bias of autoimmune T cells. The purpose of the study was to evaluate if OCH treatment could be also effective for modulating Th1/Th2 balance in human MS. To do so, we have generated a number of NKT cell clones from peripheral blood the patients with MS and healthy individuals. The clones were classified into CD4-positive (CD4+) and CD4-negative (CD4-). CD4-clones responded strongly to alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GC), a prototype ligand for NKT cells, but did not so in response to OCH. By contrast, CD4+ clones responded to both OCH and alpha-GC. Interestingly, OCH stimulation was relatively more effective than alpha-GC stimulation in inducing Th2 cytokines. These results support that OCH may be applicable for treatment of MS in the future.