Autoimmune disease in the brain – how to spot the culprits and how to keep them in check

VLA-4 blockade promotes differential routes into human CNS involving PSGL-1 rolling of T cells and MCAM-adhesion of TH17 cells

“…In recent years, several different migratory routes for immune cells over different cellular barriers into the CNS parenchyma have been characterized (Engelhardt and Sorokin, 2009; Wilson et al, 2010; Larochelle et al, 2011; Engelhardt and Ransohoff, 2012; Alvarez et al, 2013). However, the precise molecular mechanism responsible for homeostatic CNS immune surveillance and how inflammatory processes differ from regulatory/homeostatic processes on the immune cell side remain unclear (Flügel et al, 2011). Pressure to advance knowledge on the mechanisms of trans-endothelial diapedesis arose with the approval of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies interfering with cell trafficking.…”

A Review of Multiple Sclerosis as an Infectious Syndrome

“…This brief overview of the pathologic lesions involved in the MS brain strongly suggests that there exists a widespread progressive neurodegenerative disease in which persistent inflammation plays a prominent role. It is very likely that there is an autoimmune component to this persistent inflammation, although specific autoreactive targets have not been well delineated [41] and immunotherapy of MS does not prevent disease progression in a substantial number of patients [42].…”