Age dependent course of EAE in Aire-/- mice

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Neuroimmunology
• Autoimmunity

Background:

• The autoimmune regulator (Aire) is crucial for central immune tolerance.
• Aire deficiency is linked to various autoimmune conditions.
• Its role in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) susceptibility requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of Aire deficiency on EAE susceptibility.
• To explore the age-dependent effects of Aire on autoimmunity.
• To determine the correlation between Aire, T regulatory (Treg) cells, and EAE.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Aire knockout (KO) and wild type (WT) mouse models.
• Induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice of different ages (2-month-old and 6-month-old).
• Quantified EAE susceptibility and analyzed T regulatory (Treg) cell populations in spleen and brain.

Main Results:

• 6-month-old Aire KO mice exhibited increased susceptibility to EAE compared to WT controls.
• 2-month-old Aire KO mice showed reduced susceptibility to EAE compared to WT controls.
• Age-related resistance in young Aire KO mice correlated with elevated Treg cell proportions in spleen and brain.

Conclusions:

• Aire deficiency has age-dependent effects on EAE susceptibility.
• Treg cell populations are implicated in Aire-mediated regulation of autoimmunity.
• An age-related association exists between Aire, Treg cells, and autoimmunity, extending beyond EAE.