Open AccessImmunomodulatory activity of interferon‐beta
Author(s) -
Kasper Lloyd H.,
Reder Anthony T.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
annals of clinical and translational neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.824
H-Index - 42
ISSN - 2328-9503
DOI - 10.1002/acn3.84
Subject(s) - multiple sclerosis , medicine , cytokine , immune system , interferon , immunology , mechanism (biology) , interferon beta , central nervous system , inflammation , disease , beta (programming language) , mechanism of action , clinical trial , in vitro , biology , philosophy , biochemistry , epistemology , computer science , programming language
Abstract Multiple sclerosis ( MS ) is a complex disorder of the central nervous system that appears to be driven by a shift in immune functioning toward excess inflammation that results in demyelination and axonal loss. Beta interferons were the first class of disease‐modifying therapies to be approved for patients with MS after treatment with this type I interferon improved the course of MS on both clinical and radiological measures in clinical trials. The mechanism of action of interferon‐beta appears to be driven by influencing the immune system at many levels, including antigen‐presenting cells, T cells, and B cells. One effect of these interactions is to shift cytokine networks in favor of an anti‐inflammatory effect. The pleiotropic mechanism of action may be a critical factor in determining the efficacy of interferon‐beta in MS . This review will focus on select immunological mechanisms that are influenced by this type I cytokine.