Antibodies play their part

Flach AC, Litke T, Strauss J, Haberl M, Gómez CC, Reindl M, Saiz A, Fehling HJ, Wienands J, Odoardi F, Lühder F, Flügel A. Autoantibody-boosted T-cell reactivation in the target organ triggers manifestation of autoimmune CNS disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Mar 8. pii: 201519608. [Epub ahead of print]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is caused by T cells that are reactive for brain antigens. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, the animal model for MS, myelin-reactive T cells initiate the autoimmune process when entering the nervous tissue and become reactivated upon local encounter of their cognate CNS antigen. Thereby, the strength of the T-cellular reactivation process within the CNS tissue is crucial for the manifestation and the severity of the clinical disease. Recently, B cells were found to participate in the pathogenesis of CNS autoimmunity, with several diverse underlying mechanisms being under discussion. We here report that B cells play an important role in promoting the initiation process of CNS autoimmunity. Myelin-specific antibodies produced by autoreactive B cells after activation in the periphery diffused into the CNS together with the first invading pathogenic T cells. The antibodies accumulated in resident antigen-presenting phagocytes and significantly enhanced the activation of the incoming effector T cells. The ensuing strong blood-brain barrier disruption and immune cell recruitment resulted in rapid manifestation of clinical disease. Therefore, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-specific autoantibodies can initiate disease bouts by cooperating with the autoreactive T cells in helping them to recognize their autoantigen and become efficiently reactivated within the immune-deprived nervous tissue.
As anti-CD20 antibodies near the clinic, EAEers are beginnng to make EAE into a B cell disease:-).  It isn't......it is a T cell  mediated disease...however B cells and antibodies can clearly impact on  EAE. So here antibodies are being produced and get into the CNS and get taken up by antigen presenting T cell and enhance T cell activity and can now inititate attacks with T cells. We shall see...but in a number of cases there is a very poor antibody response in animals that has been developed disease by the time T cell autoimmunity has developed.

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