Figure 4. Adoptive transfer of tuftsin and NCM modulated T cells on day 14 ameliorates established EAE.

Wild-type (WT) mice were injected with MOG_35–55 peptide in CFA and pertussis toxin to induce EAE. Osmotic pumps filled with PBS or 500 µM tuftsin in PBS were implanted in the back of the mice on day 1 after MOG immunization. 5×10⁶ T cells, modulated as follows: tuftsin/NCM-treated T cells; tuftsin-only treated T cells; NCM-only treated T cells, were injected intravenously into recipient C57BL/6 mice immunized with MOG 14 days after the onset of disease (arrow indicates timepoint when T cell transfer was performed) and the disease severity scored as described in Methods. (The experiment was repeated twice. Cumulative data are provided; total number of animals tested, n = 12/PBS-infused mice; n = 12/tuftsin-infused mice; n = 12/mice adoptively transferred with tuftsin plus NCM-modulated T cells; n = 5/mice adoptively transferred with tuftsin-only treated T cells; n = 5/mice adoptively transferred with NCM-only treated T cells). Statistical analysis was performed, as described in the Methods. All time points between tuftsin/NCM-treated T cells and PBS control were found to be significant (p<0.001) except for days 14–15, 34 and 41–44). All the timepoints between tuftsin alone and PBS were significant (p<0.001). No difference was evident between tuftsin and tuftsin/NCM-treated T cells.