Current Immunotherapy of Multiple Sclerosis and Future Challenges: Relevance of Immune-mediated Repair

Multiple sclerosis is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system and can cause severe neurological disability. Current immune therapy with beta-interferons, glatiramer acetate, immune suppressives, or selective adhesion molecule inhibitors can reduce the frequency and severity of acute attacks in a majority of patients but have little effect on the progressive phase of the disease. Patients who require aggressive immune therapy are also at risk for the development of potentially fatal opportunistic infections. Here current and emerging immune therapy options are discussed, and immune-mediated strategies to preserve normal immune surveillance and mediate tissue repair are proposed.