Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor as a mediator of autoimmunity in multiple sclerosis

Autoreactive, myelin-specific, CD4+ T cells have a central role in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis; however the exact phenotype characteristics of these cells remain elusive. Recently, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) expression has emerged as the main pathological signature of the encephalogenicity in both T and B cell compartment. In this review we have summarized the current data supporting GM-CSF relevance in MS pathophysiology, in the context of both immunomodulatory and neuroinflammatory processes; as well as the potential cellular sources of this stimulating factor, including different T and B cell subsets.