Anti-CD20 therapy down-regulates lesion formation and microglial activation in pattern I and pattern II rat models of multiple sclerosis

Objective: The mechanism of action of anti-B-cell therapy in multiple sclerosis (MS) is not fully understood. Here we compared the effect of anti-CD20 therapy on focal rat models of pattern I (T-cell and macrophage-mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity) [DTH-EAE]) and pattern II (antibody-mediated focal myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced experimental autoimmune encephalitis [fMOG-EAE]) lesion formations.