Immunopathology of Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis is similar to multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis (JME) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease that occurs spontaneously in a colony of Japanese macaques (JM) at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. Animals with JME display clinical signs resembling multiple sclerosis (MS), and magnetic resonance imaging reveals multiple T2-weighted hyperintensities and gadolinium-enhancing lesions in the central nervous system (CNS). Here we undertook studies to determine if JME possesses features of an immune-mediated disease in the CNS. Comparable to MS, the CNS of animals with JME contain active lesions that express IL-17, CD4+ T cells with Th1 and Th17 phenotypes, CD8+ T cells, and positive CSF findings.

Viral infections and multiple sclerosis

“…Viral genomic characterization revealed that JMERV is a gamma-2 herpesvirus closely related to rhesus macaque rhadinovirus and human herpesvirus 8 [57]. Immunopathological analysis documented the presence of several key signatures associated with MS, such as CNS-infiltrating T cells with Th1 and Th17 phenotypes besides MRI similarities, suggesting a potential use as an MS model [58].…”

Modelos experimentales de desmielinización-remielinización

“…Tiene similitudes clínicas, de resonancia magnética y patológicas con la EM, aunque también presenta ciertas diferencias como son la cantidad de neutrófilos y linfocitos en LCR, así como necrosis y hemorragias como parte de la patología. Las lesiones observadas en estos animales son tanto agudas como crónicas 40,41 .…”

In depth comparative phenotyping of blood innate myeloid leukocytes from healthy humans and macaques using mass cytometry

“…Yellow fever virus was isolated in rhesus macaques and the subsequent development of an effective vaccine heavily relied on the use of the same experimental model (1). The immunological similarity between humans and NHP is also the basis for their use as models for infectious and autoimmune diseases (3)(4)(5). The immunological similarity between humans and NHP is also the basis for their use as models for infectious and autoimmune diseases (3)(4)(5).…”

“…The similar manifestations of tuberculosis disease in humans and monkeys were the ground for the use of this model for vaccine and drug regimens development (2). The immunological similarity between humans and NHP is also the basis for their use as models for infectious and autoimmune diseases (3)(4)(5). More recently, a clear description of HIV-1 pathogenesis was obtained by the use of NHP models (6).…”