B cells in spontaneous autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system

B cells and their secreted products participate in the intricate network of pathogenic and regulatory immune responses. In human autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and type 1 diabetes, a role for B cells and antibodies is well established. However, in multiple sclerosis (MS), despite the presence of autoantibodies, B cells were less considered as a major participant of autoimmune processes, until recently. Several lines of evidence now indicate a more active role for B cells in disease pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the diverse roles of B cells in autoimmune diseases with particular focus on multiple sclerosis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) as well as the recently generated spontaneous EAE mouse models.