Frontiers in Neurology (Oct 2013)

Teriflunomide attenuates immunopathological changes in the Dark Agouti rat model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

  • Garth E. Ringheim,
  • Lan eLee,
  • Lynn eLaws-Ricker,
  • Thomas eDelohery,
  • Li eLiu,
  • Donghui eZhang,
  • Nicholas eColletti,
  • Timothy J Soos,
  • Kendra eSchroeder,
  • Barbara eFanelli,
  • Nian eTian,
  • Christopher W Arendt,
  • Deborah eIglesias-Bregna,
  • Margaret ePetty,
  • Zhongqi eJi,
  • George eQian,
  • Rajula eGaur,
  • Daniel eWeinstock,
  • Jean eCavallo,
  • Juventas eTelsinskas,
  • Kathleen eMcMonagle-Strucko

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2013.00169
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4

Abstract

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Teriflunomide is an oral disease-modifying therapy recently approved in several locations for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. To gain insight into the effects of teriflunomide, immunocyte population changes were measured during progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in Dark Agouti rats. Treatment with teriflunomide attenuated levels of spinal cord-infiltrating T cells, natural killer cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. Teriflunomide also mitigated the disease-induced changes in immune cell populations in the blood and spleen suggesting an inhibitory effect on pathogenic immune responses.

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