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Janus‐like effects of type I interferon in autoimmune diseases
Author(s) -
Axtell Robert C.,
Raman Chander
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
immunological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.839
H-Index - 223
eISSN - 1600-065X
pISSN - 0105-2896
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-065x.2012.01131.x
Subject(s) - multiple sclerosis , immunology , autoimmunity , autoimmune disease , disease , neuromyelitis optica , interferon , experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis , medicine , interferon type i , population , immune system , antibody , pathology , environmental health
Summary: In multiple sclerosis, type I interferon (IFN) is considered immune‐modulatory, and recombinant forms of IFN‐β are the most prescribed treatment for this disease. This is in contrast to most other autoimmune disorders, because type I IFN contributes to the pathologies. Even within the relapsing‐remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) population, 30–50% of MS patients are non‐responsive to this treatment, and it consistently worsens neuromyelitis optica, a disease similar to RRMS. In this article, we discuss the recent advances in the field of autoimmunity and introduce the theory explain how type I IFNs can be pro‐inflammatory in disease that is predominantly driven by a Th17 response and are therapeutic when disease is predominantly Th1.