[In vivo experimental models of neuromyelitis optica]

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is autoimmune disease targeting against water channel aquaporin 4 (AQP4), mainly located at astrocyte foot processes in the central nervous system (CNS). The basis of NMO pathology is the astrocytopathy, but it is recently revealed that there is the diversity of NMO lesion possibly links to the mechanism of astrocyte death with and without complement. In vitro and in vivo models of NMO suggested that this autoantibody is pathogenic. There are mainly two types of in vivo experimental rodent models of NMO, one is a model of direct intracranial injection of NMO-IgG and the other is a passive transfer of NMO-IgG in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Both is useful to study the pathogenicity of NMO-IgG, and is promising to create the new generation therapy for autoimmune CNS diseases.