Stepchild or Prodigy? Neuroprotection in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Research

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Andrea Rottlaender²  Stefanie Kuerten¹  Christoph Kleinschnitz² 

[1] Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg 97070, Germany; E-Mail

关键词: axonal damage;    degeneration;    multiple sclerosis;    neuroprotection;    regeneration;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms160714850

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) and characterized by the infiltration of immune cells, demyelination and axonal loss. Loss of axons and nerve fiber pathology are widely accepted as correlates of neurological disability. Hence, it is surprising that the development of neuroprotective therapies has been neglected for a long time. A reason for this could be the diversity of the underlying mechanisms, complex changes in nerve fiber pathology and the absence of biomarkers and tools to quantify neuroregenerative processes. Present therapeutic strategies are aimed at modulating or suppressing the immune response, but do not primarily attenuate axonal pathology. Yet, target-oriented neuroprotective strategies are essential for the treatment of MS, especially as severe damage of nerve fibers mostly occurs in the course of disease progression and cannot be impeded by immune modulatory drugs. This review shall depict the need for neuroprotective strategies and elucidate difficulties and opportunities.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.