Mesenchymal stem cells have been demonstrated to ameliorate experimental 
autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of multiple sclerosis, prompting 
clinical trials in multiple sclerosis which are currently ongoing. An important 
question is whether this therapeutic effect generalises to other autoimmune 
neurological diseases. We performed two trials of efficacy of MSCs in 
experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN) in Lewis (LEW/Han (M)Hsd) rats, a model 
of human autoimmune inflammatory neuropathies. No differences between the groups 
were found in clinical, histological or electrophysiological outcome measures. 
This was despite the ability of mesenchymal stem cells to inhibit proliferation 
of CD4+ T-cells in vitro. Therefore the efficacy of MSCs observed in autoimmune 
CNS demyelination models do not necessarily generalise to the treatment of other 
forms of neurological autoimmunity.