Specific treatment of multiple sclerosis

Attempts to provide specific treatment for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are mostly within the realm of immunotherapy. The word "specific" is somewhat misleading, since it implies sufficient understanding of the pathogenesis of MS to relate a specific action by a therapeutic agent to a desired effect. Therapies can be categorized as antiinflammatory (e.g., glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants), or immunomodulatory (e.g., interferons, monoclonal antibodies). However, many agents have multiple actions that confound simple categorization. The current favorites include glucocorticoids for the treatment of acute attacks and interferon-beta (IFN-beta) to reduce the number and severity of attacks.