Fox Robert J, Ransohoff Richard M
The Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Department of Neurology, Lerner School of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, U-10, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
Trends Immunol. 2004 Dec;25(12):632-6. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2004.09.012.
Basic immunological research has greatly expanded our understanding of the suspected immunopathology of multiple sclerosis (MS) and, more importantly, spawned a new generation of clinical trials evaluating dozens of immune-based therapies. Adhesion molecules are the furthest into development, although patient acceptance and neutralizing antibodies both support the development of small, orally available molecules. Progressive MS probably has a significant neurodegenerative component, so progress with neuroprotective strategies will require appropriate animal models, as well as more advanced clinical imaging techniques, such as brain atrophy and diffusion tensor. Dozens of therapies are in various stages of clinical development and results from these clinical studies will provide important tests of immune and inflammatory mechanisms of MS disease.
基础免疫学研究极大地扩展了我们对多发性硬化症（MS）疑似免疫病理学的理解，更重要的是，催生了新一代评估数十种基于免疫疗法的临床试验。黏附分子的研发进展最为深入，不过患者接受度和中和抗体都表明小分子口服药物的研发很有必要。进展型MS可能有显著的神经退行性成分，因此神经保护策略的进展将需要合适的动物模型以及更先进的临床成像技术，如脑萎缩和弥散张量成像。数十种疗法正处于临床开发的不同阶段，这些临床研究的结果将为MS疾病的免疫和炎症机制提供重要检验。
