This study investigates the impact of HERV-W ENV protein expression on glial cell polarization and neurodegeneration. Transgenic mice expressing HERV-W ENV in the CNS exhibited neurotoxic glial phenotypes, impaired myelin repair, increased axonal degeneration, and accelerated progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model for multiple sclerosis (MS).
Mice expressing HERV-W ENV showed polarization of glial cells to neurotoxic states, impaired myelin repair, enhanced axonal degeneration, and accelerated autoimmune encephalomyelitis progression. This suggests that HERV-W activation plays a role in MS pathology by creating a neurodegenerative environment.
HERV-W ENV transgenic mouse model, where the HERV-W env gene was integrated into the Hprt permissive locus on the murine X-chromosome, ensuring stable and controlled expression in the CNS.
Multiple sclerosis, Neurodegeneration, Glial cell polarization, Myelin repair, Autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Transgenic mouse model, Hprt locus targeted integration, CNS-specific expression, HERV-W ENV protein, Glial cell analysis, Neurodegeneration assessment
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