Biotechnological agents for the immunotherapy of multiple sclerosis. Principles, problems and perspectives
Author:
Open Access
- 1 May 1997
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Brain
- Vol. 120 (5) , 865-916
Abstract
Based on exciting results in animal models, a number of novel immunotherapies employing biotechnological products, rather than conventional immunosuppressants, are being developed for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The first part of this article is a review of some fundamental concepts of immunology and offers a hypothetical scenario for the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. The second part provides a critical overview of various immunotherapies relying on modern biotechnology. For each approach, the underlying immunological principles, experimental and clinical evidence, and foreseeable problems are separately addressed. Thus, it is hoped that this article serves a dual purpose, namely to provide an update on recent advances in immunology, and to serve as a useful source of reference to immunotherapies holding promise for future treatment of multiple sclerosis.Keywords
This publication has 36 references indexed in Scilit:
- Thalidomide as an Anti-TNF-α Inhibitor: Implications for Clinical UseClinical Immunology and Immunopathology, 1996
- Vaccination with peptides from MHC class II beta chain hypervariable region causes allele-specific suppression of EAEJournal of Neuroimmunology, 1996
- Intramuscular interferon beta‐1a for disease progression in relapsing multiple sclerosisAnnals of Neurology, 1996
- Genetic control of multiple sclerosis: Increased production of lymphotoxin and tumor necrosis factor‐α by HLA‐DR2+ T cellsAnnals of Neurology, 1995
- Chemokine expression in murine experimental allergic encephalomyelitisJournal of Neuroimmunology, 1995
- A Brief History of the Use of Interferons as Treatment of Multiple SclerosisArchives of Neurology, 1994
- Traffic signals for lymphocyte recirculation and leukocyte emigration: The multistep paradigmCell, 1994
- Nitric oxide, a novel biologic messengerCell, 1992
- Cytokine Secretion by Multiple Sclerosis MonocytesArchives of Neurology, 1992
- Isolation of myelin basic protein-reactive T-cell lines from normal human bloodCellular Immunology, 1983