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The therapeutic window after spinal cord injury can accommodate T cell‐based vaccination and methylprednisolone in rats
Author(s) -
Ibarra Antonio,
Hauben Ehud,
Butovsky Oleg,
Schwartz Michal
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.0953-816x.2004.03402.x
Subject(s) - vaccination , spinal cord injury , medicine , methylprednisolone , immune system , spinal cord , myelin , window of opportunity , therapeutic effect , immunology , myelin basic protein , therapeutic approach , neuroscience , pharmacology , anesthesia , central nervous system , biology , real time computing , disease , psychiatry , computer science
Immune system activity has traditionally been considered harmful for recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). Recent evidence suggests, however, that immune activity – and specifically autoimmune activity − is evoked by the insult, is beneficial if properly regulated and is amenable to boosting. Thus, for example, vaccination with an altered peptide ligand derived from myelin basic protein reduces the progressive degeneration of neurons that escaped the initial insult, thereby promoting recovery after SCI. As the steroid drug methylprednisolone (MP) is currently the only treatment available for patients with SCI, our purpose in the present study was to examine the mutual compatibility of the two treatments within the post‐traumatic therapeutic window. We show, using rats of two different strains, that if MP is injected concomitantly with the therapeutic vaccination, the beneficial effect of the vaccination is diminished. However, if MP is given immediately after the insult and the vaccination 48 h later, MP does not detract from the beneficial effect of the vaccination. These results demonstrate that the therapeutic window after SCI can accommodate immediate administration of MP plus a delayed therapeutic vaccination.