Fig. 6: DMF restricts CNS autoimmunity by limiting the co-pathogenic function of Tc17 cells.

a Mean clinical scores ( ± s.d.) of MOG_35–55 immunized wild-type (WT) mice (n = 7) with therapeutic DMF application, starting from day 8, indicated by arrow. b T cell numbers (mean ± s.d.; n = 7) in the CNS of WT mice ± DMF treatment. c CD8⁺ T cell numbers (mean ± s.d.; n = 7) in the CNS of WT mice ± DMF treatment. d Percentages of IL-17A⁺CD8⁺ T cells (mean ± s.d.; n = 7) in the CNS of WT mice ± DMF treatment. e Mean clinical scores ( ± s.d.) of MOG_35–55 immunized Irf4^−/− (n = 7) mice receiving 10³ CD4⁺2D2 T cells alone or together with 2.5 × 10⁶ in vitro differentiated Tc17 ± DMF. Significances in graph are shown for 2D2 + Tc17 vs 2D2 + Tc17 DMF. f T cell numbers (mean ± s.d., n = 4–6) in CNS of Irf4^−/− mice after CD4⁺2D2 T and Tc17 ± DMF co-transfer. g Endogenous to transferred CD8⁺ T-cell ratio (mean, n = 5) in CNS of Irf4^−/− mice after CD4⁺2D2 T and Tc17 ± DMF co-transfer. h, i Flow cytometry of IL-17A and IFN-γ in gated CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in LN h or CNS i of Irf4^−/− mice after CD4⁺2D2 T and Tc17 ± DMF co-transfer. j, k Percentages of IL-17A⁺CD4⁺ or IL-17A⁺CD8⁺ T cells (mean ± s.d.) in LN (n = 4–5) j and CNS (n = 7–8) k of Irf4^−/− mice; b, c, d, f, j, k individual values are plotted. In a, e **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001 evaluated by two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc test, in (d, j, for CD8⁺ T cells) *p < 0.05 by two-tailed, unpaired t-test, in (b, c, k for CD8⁺ T cells) *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 by two-tailed, unpaired t-test with Welch’s correction, in (j, k for CD4⁺ T cells) *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett multiple comparison test, in f *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 by one-way Welch’s ANOVA with Games–Howell multiple comparison test.