Fig. 3.

JM-4 peptide treatment improves clinical course in relapsing-remitting experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. SJL/J mice (n = 6–10 per group) were immunized with a suboptimal dose of proteolipid protein (PLP) peptide (100 μg) on day 0, which produced only mild clinical deficits. Four weeks after the first immunization, all animals recovered and exhibited near normal clinical condition. These animals were then divided into 2 groups that received 7 days of treatment with either JM-4 peptide or sham phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) before a second PLP immunization was given. There was a delay in the onset of symptoms and reduction in severity in the JM-4-treated group compared with the sham-treated EAE animals (p < 0.005). A rapid reduction in clinical score occurred again when the JM-4-treated mice received a second course of JM-4 therapy. Long-term follow-up showed a relapsing and remitting pattern. However, the PBS-treated EAE mice showed far more severe disease, whereas EAE mice treated with JM-4 had much milder disease. The drug effect continued for the entire 40-day period after treatment was completed (p < 0.001). The repeat experiment showed similar clinical results