Fingolimod Increases Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Level Secretion from Circulating T Cells of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

• Published in: CNS drugs Vol. 33; no. 12; pp. 1229 - 1237
• Main Authors: Golan, Maya, Mausner-Fainberg, Karin, Ibrahim, Bassima, Benhamou, Moshe, Wilf-Yarkoni, Adi, Kolb, Hadar, Regev, Keren, Karni, Arnon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.12.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Central nervous system; Encephalomyelitis; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Enzymes; Epidermal growth factor; Fibroblast growth factor 2; Glial cells; Growth factors; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Monocytes; Multiple sclerosis; Nerve growth factor; Nervous system; Neurology; Neuronal-glial interactions; Neuroprotection; Neurosciences; Neurotrophic factors; Neurotrophin 3; Neurotrophin 4; Original Research Article; Pathophysiology; Patients; Pharmacotherapy; Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Vascular endothelial growth factor; United States > US
• ISSN: 1172-7047; 1179-1934
• DOI: 10.1007/s40263-019-00675-7

Background The pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis involves an autoimmune and a neurodegenerative mechanism. Central nervous system-infiltrating immune cells in multiple sclerosis also possess a neuroprotective activity through secretion of neurotrophins, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Fingolimod was shown to slow the progression of disability and loss of brain volume. Objective The objective of this study was to explore whether fingolimod induces secretion of neurotrophins by immune cells. Methods Blood was drawn from 21 patients before the initiation of treatment with fingolimod and at 6 and 12 months of follow-up. The levels of the neurotrophic factors brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor, β-nerve growth factor, neurotrophin-3, neurotrophin-4, basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor were screened in the supernatants of separated T cells and monocyte cultures using a customized, multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels were further validated by a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Treatment with fingolimod significantly increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor secretion from T cells. A specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay confirmed these results in the supernatant of T cells after 6 and 12 months of therapy. Conclusions T cells that reach the bloodstream of fingolimod-treated patients with multiple sclerosis may contribute to the neuroprotective effect of this therapy by increased secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This mechanism of action of fingolimod in patients with multiple sclerosis has not been previously reported.