In addition to higher basal proliferation, draining LN cells from B10.S mice immunized with 3B3/PLP139–151/CFA showed much higher proliferation upon antigen restimulation (Fig. 5A). The treatment dramatically enhanced both IFN-γ- and IL-17-producing CD4+ T cells, while the treatment did not increase IL-4/IL10-producing T cells (Fig. 5B). Consistently, the 3B3-treated mice became susceptible to the development of EAE, with over 70% of B10.S mice developing this website EAE (Fig. 5C and Table 2). To further examine the effect of high-avidity anti-Tim-1 as a co-adjuvant on DCs and effector and regulatory T cells, we generated B10.S Foxp3/GFP ‘knock-in’ mice. The ‘knock-in’ mice were immunized with

3B3 or control rIgG in immunogenic emulsion. DCs, Foxp3−CD4+ effector T cells (Teffs), and Foxp3+CD4+ Tregs were Vemurafenib molecular weight isolated from spleen and lymph nodes of the mice and analyzed in criss-cross proliferation assays (Fig. 6A). Teffs from 3B3-treated

mice showed stronger proliferation and produced higher levels of IFN-γ and IL-17 upon antigen restimulation than Teffs from rIgG-treated mice. More interestingly, DCs from 3B3-treated mice induced higher Teffs proliferation and IFN-γ and IL-17 production than DCs from rIgG-treated mice (Fig. 6A). The frequency of Foxp3+ Tregs in spleens, lymph nodes, or the CNS was not significantly affected by 3B3 treatment (Fig. 6D and data not shown). However, Foxp3+ Tregs from 3B3-treated mice was less efficient in suppressing Teff proliferation in the cultures where Foxp3− Teffs and DCs were obtained from

rIgG-treated B10.S mice (Fig. 6B). Phenotypically, 3B3 in PLP139–151/CFA emulsion promoted DC activation as the treatment significantly upregulated the intensity of costimulatory molecules CD80, CD86, and MHC class II (Fig. 6C). In the CNS, treatment with the high-avidity anti-Tim-1 resulted in more mononuclear cell infiltration, containing high frequencies/numbers of CD11c+ DCs and CD4+ T cells (Fig. 6D and data not shown). Although the frequency of CD4+Foxp3+ Tregs in 3B3-treated mice was not dramatically decreased, significantly more Foxp3+ Tregs in the CNS of 3B3-treated MRIP mice produced proinflammatory cytokine IL-17 (7.85±2.36% from 3B3-treated mice versus 1.85±0.96% from rIgG-treated mice, n=3; p<0.05). In addition, the frequency of CNS-infiltrating CD4+Foxp3− Teffs producing IFN-γ and/or IL-17 was also increased in 3B3-treated mice (Fig. 6D). Moreover, similar to the observation in Fig. 5B, control rIgG-treated B10.S mice showed a very low percentage of IL-17-producing Teffs in the CNS, which was dramatically increased by the high-avidity anti-Tim-1 treatment (Fig. 6D). DCs are professional APCs with a remarkable capacity to activate naïve T cells and prime T-cell responses, therefore providing a link between innate and adaptive immunity.