Treatment of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis with Genetically Modified Memory T Cells

The migratory properties of memory T cells provide a model vector system for site-specific delivery of therapeutic transgene factors to autoimmune inflammatory lesions. Lymph node cells from (SWR×SJL)F₁ mice immunized with the p139–151 determinant of myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) were transfected with a DNA construct that placed the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) cDNA under control of an antigen-inducible IL-2 promoter region. Isolated T cell clones demonstrated antigen-inducible expression of transgene IL-10 and expressed cell surface markers consistent with the phenotype of normal memory T cells. Upon adoptive transfer, transfected T cell clones were able to inhibit onset of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and to treat EAE animals therapeutically after onset of neurologic signs. Semiquantitative immunocytochemistry showed a significant correlation between decreased demyelination and treatment with the transfected T cells. Taken together, these data indicate the autoreactive T cells can be genetically designed to produce therapeutic factors in an antigen-inducible manner resulting in a decreased severity of clinical and histological autoimmune demyelinating disease.