Fig. 1

MCAM blockade delays EAE onset in T cell-specific Itga4 knockout mice (CD4::Itga4^−/−). a Development of active EAE in CD4::Itga4^−/− mice treated every other day after MOG_35–55 immunization with anti-MCAM (clone 15) neutralizing antibody or isotype control antibody. Mean clinical EAN scores ± SEM of three independent experiments over time are shown; *P < 0.05; green highlighted areas: P < 0.1 (b) The average day of disease onset, defined as the first day with a score greater than or equal to 1, is shown as mean ± SEM. Percentages of MCAM CD4⁺ T cells (c) isolated from the spleen, blood, spinal cord, and brain of isotype control or anti-MCAM-treated mice were quantified by flow cytometry on day 22 post MOG_35–55 immunization. Correlation analyses between the clinical score (EAN) and percentages of MCAM-expressing CD4⁺ T cells (d) in brains of isotype control (black dots) and anti-MCAM-treated mice (gray dots) on day 22 post immunization shows a positive correlation for CD4⁺T cells (Spearman r = 0.7513; P = 0.01). e Representative flow cytometric analyses of MCAM⁺ CD4⁺ T cells are shown for isotype control (upper panel) or anti-MCAM-treated mice (lower panel)