About the Authors

Daniela F. Angelini

Affiliation Neuroimmunology Unit, Fondazione Santa Lucia, (I.R.C.C.S.), Rome, Italy

Barbara Serafini

Affiliation Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

Eleonora Piras

Affiliation Neuroimmunology Unit, Fondazione Santa Lucia, (I.R.C.C.S.), Rome, Italy

Martina Severa

Affiliation Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

Eliana M. Coccia

Affiliation Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

Barbara Rosicarelli

Affiliation Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

Serena Ruggieri

Affiliation Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

Claudio Gasperini

Affiliation Department of Neurosciences, S Camillo Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy

Fabio Buttari

Affiliation Department of Neurosciences, University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

Diego Centonze

Affiliation Department of Neurosciences, University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

Rosella Mechelli

Affiliation Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies, S. Andrea Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

Marco Salvetti

Affiliation Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies, S. Andrea Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

Giovanna Borsellino

Affiliation Neuroimmunology Unit, Fondazione Santa Lucia, (I.R.C.C.S.), Rome, Italy

Francesca Aloisi

FA and LB share senior authorship.

Affiliation Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

Luca Battistini

l.battistin@hsantalucia.it

FA and LB share senior authorship.

Affiliation Neuroimmunology Unit, Fondazione Santa Lucia, (I.R.C.C.S.), Rome, Italy

Competing Interests

Marco Salvetti, MD, received lecture fees from Biogen-Dompé and research support from Bayer-Schering, Biogen-Dompé, Merck-Serono, Sanofi-Aventis. Claudio Gasperini, MD, has served as a consultant for Merck Serono and Biogen Idec, and has received speaker honoraria from Teva, Merck Serono, Bayer Shering and Biogec Idec. Diego Centonze, MD, is an Advisory Board member of Merck-Serono, Teva and Bayer Shering and received funding for travelling and speaker honoraria or consultation fees from Merck Serono, Teva, Novartis, Bayer Shering, Sanofi-Aventis and Biogen Idec. He is also an external expert consultant of the European Medicine Agency (EMA) and the principal investigator in clinical trials for Novartis, Merck Serono, Teva, Bayer Shering, Sanofi Aventis and Biogen Idec. The other authors have no competing interests to report. This does not alter our adherence to all PLoS Pathogens policies on sharing data and materials.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: D.F. Angelini, B. Serafini, E.M. Coccia, F. Aloisi, L. Battistini. Analyzed the data: D.F. Angelini, B. Serafini, M. Salvetti, E.M. Coccia, G. Borsellino, F. Aloisi, L. Battistini. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: S. Ruggieri, C. Gasperini, F. Buttari, D. Centonze, R. Mechelli, M. Salvetti. Performed the experiments: D.F. Angelini, B. Serafini, E. Piras, M. Severa, B. Rosicarelli, G. Borsellino. Wrote the paper: D.F. Angelini, G. Borsellino, F. Aloisi, L. Battistini.