Studies on collagen type II (CII)-induced arthritis in susceptible DBA/1 mice revealed that administration of anti-OX40L antibodies reduced the associated pathological lesions significantly; it did not inhibit the development of CII-reactive T cells, but suppressed IFN-γ and anti-CII IgG2a production [70]. Similarly, the synovial fluid of patients with active RA contained increased numbers of OX40+ T cells [71]. An important role of OX40 signalling in the progression of CII-induced Small molecule library RA has been demonstrated in studies with IL-1α/β−/−, mice where a reduced incidence of CII-induced RA was

correlated with decreased expression of OX40 on T cells [72]. Perivascular infiltrates of the central nervous system (CNS) of mice treated with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)35–55 peptide, and of patients with multiple sclerosis, contain a large number of CD134+ cells [73]. That CD134 signalling is important in the resolution of EAE was confirmed by showing that induction of EAE in CD134−/− mice yielded in clinical evidence of reduced severity, and decreased inflammatory infiltrates markedly within the CNS [73]. Moreover, the resistance to EAE of CD134−/− mice was found to be associated with a marked reduction in the number of pathogenic

IFN-γ-producing T cells infiltrating the CNS [73]. Conversely, triggering OX40 signalling exacerbated EAE [74,75]. In accordance, blockade of CD134–CD134L interaction by soluble CD134 at the onset of disease reduced disease symptoms [76]. Increased OX40 expression on the CD4+ T cells of patients suffering from myasthenia Y-27632 mw gravis, a protoypic antibody-mediated organ-specific autoimmune disease, has also been reported [77]. Pakala et al. [78] have demonstrated that administration of blocking anti-CD134L mAb

to NOD mice had oxyclozanide reduced glucose levels and islet infiltrating leucocytes and reduced the incidence of diabetes significantly. The significance of CD134–CD134L in autoimmune diseases is highlighted in Table 1 and Fig. 1d. CD137 (4-1BB), an important T cell co-stimulatory molecule [9], exists as both a 30-kDa monomer and 55-kDa homodimer [79]. Its expression is activation-induced [79,80] and it is expressed primarily on activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells [79] and on activated NK and NK T cells [81]. In contrast, 4-1BB is expressed constitutively on primary human monocytes, DCs, blood vessel endothelial cells and human follicular DCs, as well as CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) [82–86]. In vitro and in vivo studies indicate that signalling via 4-1BB preferentially activates CD8+ T over CD4+ T cells [87]. Soluble forms of CD137 (sCD137) and sCD137L have been observed in sera of RA and MS patients, where levels of sCD137 and sCD137L correlated with disease severity [88–91]. The precise role of sCD137 and sCD137L in autoimmune diseases is, however, not understood completely.