Functional Interleukin-17 Receptor A is Expressed in the Central Nervous System and Upregulated in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis a Jayasri Das Sarma 1 , Bogoljub Ciric 1 , Ryan Marek 1 , Sanjoy Sadhukhan 1 , Jasmine Shafagh 1 , Denise C. Fitzgerald 1 , Kenneth S. Shindler 2 and A. M. Rostami 1* 1 Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107. 2 Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania, Scheie Eye Institute and FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Running title: Expression and signaling of IL-17RA in the CNS A.M. Rostami, M.D, Ph.D 900 Walnut Street 200JHN Department of Neurology Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA Tel: 215-955-8100 Fax: 215-955-1390 E-mail: a.m.rostami@jefferson.edu a This work was supported by a grant from NIH to AMR (5R01 NS048435) and the M.E.Groff Surgical Medical Research and Education Charitable Trust to JDS (F76401)