Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Determining Immune System Suppression versus CNS Protection for Pharmacological Interventions in Autoimmune Demyelination
Published on: September 12, 2016
[Differential influence of immune therapy on relapses and progression in multiple sclerosis: interpretation and
M E Kornhuber1, P Presek, S Zierz
1Klinik für Neurologie der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg. malte.kornhuber@medizin.uni-halle.de
It is well established that relapses can be suppressed by different substances in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). In contrast, patients with progressive forms of MS do hardly respond to immune therapy. Therefore, start of immune therapy after the first relapse has been proposed, especially in order to prevent degeneration and disability. This view is challenged in the present review. Actually no evidence exists in support of a retardation or an attenuation of secondary progression by early immune therapy. Widespread degeneration occurs early and progresses independently from inflammatory plaques. Therefore, autoimmunity per se is no adequate paradigm to explain MS-pathogenesis entirely. A virus/superantigen-dualism is proposed to explain the different parts of MS, instead. It is concluded that evidence-based immune therapy should be adapted to the actual inflammatory activity of the disease. A suitable parameter for this purpose is the interval between 2 relapses.
It is well established that relapses can be suppressed by different substances in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). In contrast, patients with progressive forms of MS do hardly respond to immune therapy. Therefore, start of immune therapy after the first relapse has been proposed, especially in order to prevent degeneration and disability. This view is challenged in the present review. Actually no evidence exists in support of a retardation or an attenuation of secondary progression by early immune therapy. Widespread degeneration occurs early and progresses independently from inflammatory plaques. Therefore, autoimmunity per se is no adequate paradigm to explain MS-pathogenesis entirely. A virus/superantigen-dualism is proposed to explain the different parts of MS, instead. It is concluded that evidence-based immune therapy should be adapted to the actual inflammatory activity of the disease. A suitable parameter for this purpose is the interval between 2 relapses.
Related Concept Videos
Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Affecting Factors
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Tumor Immunotherapy
