Table 1.

Comparative features of some CNS-cytokine transgenic mouse models^a

	Promoter / target cell	Clinical features	Cellular changes	Infiltrating leukocytes	Human disease correlates
IL-6	GFAP / astrocyte	Cognitive decline, ataxia, hippocampal electrophysiological hyperexcitability, impaired HPA function	Proliferative angiopathy, BBB leakage, gliosis, inflammation, reduced neurogenesis neurodegeneration	Mild. B-cell > CD4+ T-cell > macrophage	Stroke, HIV-associated dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic injury
TNF	TNF / oligodendrocyte progenitor GFAP / astrocyte	Progressive motor deterioration, paralysis, wasting, premature death	Encephalomyelitis, demyelination, gliosis neurodegeneration	Florid, macrophage > CD4+ T cell> B-cell > CD8+ T cell	Multiple sclerosis, stroke, bacterial meningoencephalitis
IL-12	GFAP / astrocyte	Progressive weight loss, ataxia, premature death	Meningoencephalitis, calcification, gliosis, neurodegeneration	Florid. CD4+ T-cell > CD8+ T-cell > NK-cell	Multiple Sclerosis, viral encephalitis
IFN-α	GFAP / astrocyte	Learning deficits, reduced activity, weight loss, seizures, premature death	Encephalitis, gliosis, multifocal calcifying necrosis with neuronal loss	Mild. CD4+ >> CD8+ T-cell > B cell > macrophage	Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome, Cree encephalitis, congenital viral encephalopathy, HIV-associated dementia
IFN-γ	MBP / oligodendrocyte and GFAP / astrocyte	Progressive ataxia, shivering and tremors, premature death	Hypomyelination, demyelination, macrophagocytosis, gliosis, cerebellar hyperplasia and tumor	Mild. Macrophage > T cell	Multiple sclerosis (MS) Medulloblastoma
TGF-β1	GFAP / astrocyte	Moribund, premature death in high TGF-β expressing mice	Hydrocephalus (high expession), amyloid angiopathy, blood vessel fibrosis, gliosis, neuroprotection, reduced neurogenesis	Mild. T-cell	Cerebral amyloid angiopathy, Alzheimer’s disease

^aCitations not included, refer to text for details.