Figure 6. Lack of MV-GFP-H_AA-IL-13 toxicity in a susceptible transgenic mouse model.

(a) Survival of Ifnar^ko CD46 mice after central nervous system administration of MV-GFP or MV-GFP-H_AA-IL-13. In contrast to the lethal neurotoxicity observed by day 7 in four of five MV-GFP-treated mice, mice treated with the interleukin-13 (IL-13) displaying retargeted measles virus strain survived without toxicity. (b) Viral recovery from brains of MV-GFP-treated mice on Vero-αHis cell overlays as demonstrated by syncytia formation (I), expressing green fluorescence protein II. (c) Histopathological examination of the brains of MV-GFP-treated Ifnar^ko CD46 Ge mice demonstrated inflammation at the injection site (I), meningitis (II), and ventriculitis (III) with syncytia formation (close-up view). In contrast, the brains of MV-GFP-H_AA-IL-13 mice have normal appearance on histopathological examination (IV).