T Cell Delivery of Nanoparticles-Bound Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibody: Successful B Cell Depletion in the Spinal Cord during Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

• DOI: 10.1007/s11481-020-09931-w
• Publication Date: 2020-06-09T00:02:36Z
• Authors: Alberto Carnasciali; Roberta Amoriello; Elena Bonechi; Alessio Mazzoni; Costanza Ravagli; Saer Doumett; Laura Cappiello; Mario Milco D’Elios; Giovanni Baldi; Clara Ballerini
• Keywords: Encephalomyelitis

We developed a nanotechnology based-cell mediated drug delivery system by loading myelin antigen-specific T cells with nanoparticles bound to anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. Anti-CD20 antibody is a current treatment (ocrelizumab) for multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic, inflammatory and autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). CD20-depletion has been associated with efficacy in active relapsing and progressive MS, but may not efficiently target inflammatory cells compartmentalized in the CNS. In our work, the intravenous transfer of T cells containing nanoparticle-anti-CD20 complex in mice causes B cell depletion in the spleen and in the brain, whereas the injection of anti-CD20 alone depletes B cells only in the spleen. Testing this system in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE), animal model of MS, we found that spinal cord B cell depletion ameliorates the disease course and pathology. Graphical Abstract.