Toxins 2010, 2(4), 856-877; doi:10.3390/toxins2040856
Review

The Double-Edged Sword of Autoimmunity: Lessons from Multiple Sclerosis

Anne Lise K. Hestvikemail
Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, 0027 Oslo, Norway
Received: 14 April 2010 / Accepted: 21 April 2010 / Published: 22 April 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicity and Therapeutic Interventions in the Immune System)
PDF Full-text Download PDF Full-Text [267 KB, uploaded 22 April 2010 08:43 CEST]
Abstract: The relationship between immune responses to self-antigens and autoimmune disease is unclear. In contrast to its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which is driven by T cell responses to myelin antigens, the target antigen of the intrathecal immune response in multiple sclerosis (MS) has not been identified. Although the immune response in MS contributes significantly to tissue destruction, the action of immunocompetent cells within the central nervous system (CNS) may also hold therapeutic potential. Thus, treatment of MS patients with glatiramer acetate triggers a protective immune response. Here we review the immunopathogenesis of MS and some recent findings on the mechanism of glatiramer acetate (GA).
Keywords: autoimmunity; multiple sclerosis; T cells; B cells; glatiramer acetate

Article Statistics

Click here to load and display the download statistics.

Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Hestvik, A.L.K. The Double-Edged Sword of Autoimmunity: Lessons from Multiple Sclerosis. Toxins 2010, 2, 856-877.

AMA Style

Hestvik ALK. The Double-Edged Sword of Autoimmunity: Lessons from Multiple Sclerosis. Toxins. 2010; 2(4):856-877.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hestvik, Anne Lise K. 2010. "The Double-Edged Sword of Autoimmunity: Lessons from Multiple Sclerosis." Toxins 2, no. 4: 856-877.

Toxins EISSN 2072-6651 Published by MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland RSS E-Mail Table of Contents Alert