Animal Models, Histology and Tissue Bank Core

Washington University, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Animal Models, Histology and Tissue Bank Core will maintain availability and assistance in the induction of all murine models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) including monophasic and relapsing-remitting models induced by both active immunization and adoptive transfer of encephalitogenic T cells. Towards this latter goal, Core B will generate and maintain encephalitogenic and control T cell lines. Core B will also assist in all outcome measurements, histological analyses and immunohistochemical approaches. To support PPG investigators? exploration of alternative approaches and establish future goals for all Projects, Core B will also establish a murine tissue bank for screening purposes. Because the overall goal of all animals work is to translate findings to human tissues and, ultimately, patients, Core B will establish and maintain a human CNS tissue bank with histopathologic analyses from control and MS patients plus banked peripheral blood mononuclear cells, sera and cerebrospinal fluid. These samples will be utilized by all Projects to validate findings in murine models and to further investigate findings in murine systems using human tissues. We recently hired a dedicated technician to process, catalogue and coordinate the evaluation of CNS specimens for inflammation, demyelination, axonal injury and remyelination. In summary, the function of Core B is to provide technical support for a variety of in vivo experimentation using murine MS models and to facilitate studies for the translation of findings to MS patients via use of human specimens.