Title: T HELPER 17 CELLS IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS
Abstract: Interleukin (lL)-17 was recently considered as an important immunological player for infl ammation in the nervous system. It is produced by T helper (Th) cells that are distinct from the traditional Th1 and Th2 cell subsets and were thus designated as Th17 cells. IL-17 is a crucial effector cytokine with potent proinfl ammatory effects. Although multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disease of young adults, its pathogenesis is still incompletely understood. Animal (on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis EAE) and human studies have shown that T cells and infl ammatory cytokines play an important role in MS pathogenesis. The presence of high numbers of IL-17-producing cells at the lesion site, their capacity to adhere to endothelium and their possibility to elicit a strong response, support a role for this subset in the pathogenesis and exacerbations of MS. Moreover, neutralization of IL-17 ameliorates clinical disease, a fi nding paralleled by reduced EAE severity in IL-17 defi cient animals. A high IL-17 concentration in the serum of MS patients is associated with nonresponsiveness to IFN-β therapy. Studying the molecules released by Th-17 cells in MS patients will shed more light on the MS pathology and might have major implications for potential therapeutic interventions.
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 1
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot