Effect of anti-CD20 treatment on the composition and gene expression of meningeal ectopic lymphoid tissue and CSFin a spontaneous EAE model, using single cell gene expression .

Objective: To investigate how anti-CD20 B cell-depleting monoclonal antibodies (?CD20 mAb) alter the composition and gene expression of immune cells in meningeal ectopic lymphoid tissue (mELT) and the CSF in a murine model of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Methods: We utilized a spontaneous chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of mice with mutant T and B cell receptors specific for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), which develop meningeal inflammatory infiltrates resembling those described in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). We studied the changes in cell composition and gene expression after anti-CD20 treatment in mELT and CSF. Overall design: single cell gene expression and Bcell receptor sequences of meningeal ectopic lymphoid tissue and CSF in 3 anti-CD20 and 3 vehicle treated Thx2D2 mice