Modeling Multiple Sclerosis in the Two Sexes: MOG_35-55-Induced Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Our research focuses on the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, or EAE model, which can significantly announce the understanding of peripheral immune-mediated mechanism and evaluate neuroinflammatory and partially delineating processes. This model has also been widely used to develop and test a wide range of therapeutics drugs. Due to the unknown etiology and complexity of multiple sclerosis, no animal model currently recapitulates all the clinical and radiological features displayed in humans.

Thus, it is quite challenging for the researchers to select the animal model most fitting for a specific experimental question. EAE is a widely used model of multiple sclerosis. However, to do several issue, only some studies performing this model considered both sexes.

With our protocol, we want a light possibility of including both sexes in the study conducted in this model. Specifically, our protocol proposed a clinical evaluation based of two methods:the clinical score assessment and the rotator test, leading a more quantitative, less subjective and more precise clinical assessment of the disease course. Even though this model does not entirely reproduce the sexual dimorphism of multiple sclerosis, it has potential advantages.

The combination of the induction with other possible risk factor, especially the environmental ones, can end in understanding specific effects of such factors and identifying the specific role in some sexually dimorphic aspect of the disease.