Copolymer 1 inhibits experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis

Copolymer 1 (Cop 1) inhibits experimental allergic encephalomyelitis induce d by a variety of myelin proteins, but has been found ineffective so far in inhibiting other experimental autoimmune diseases such as diabetes or arth ritis. Here, we report for the first time that Cop 1 inhibits the developme nt of experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis, induced in mice by interphotor eceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP). Pooled data of three experiments s howed that treatment with Cop 1, at 0.5 mg/mouse, reduced the disease sever ity by 53% (p = 0.0002). Cop 1 treatment also inhibited the proliferation a nd the production of cytokines by lymph node cells in response to IRBP and moderately reduced the antibody response to this antigen. The possible mech anisms of EAU inhibition by Cop 1 are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.