Will the real multiple sclerosis please stand up?

Nat Rev Neurosci. 2012 Jun 20;13(7):507-14. doi: 10.1038/nrn3275.

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered to be an autoimmune, inflammatory disease of the CNS. In most patients, the disease follows a relapsing-remitting course and is characterized by dynamic inflammatory demyelinating lesions in the CNS. Although on the surface MS may appear consistent with a primary autoimmune disease, questions have been raised as to whether inflammation and/or autoimmunity are really at the root of the disease, and it has been proposed that MS might in fact be a degenerative disorder. We argue that MS may be an 'immunological convolution' between an underlying primary degenerative disorder and the host's aberrant immune response. To better understand this disease, we might need to consider non-inflammatory primary progressive MS as the 'real' MS, with inflammatory forms reflecting secondary, albeit very important, reactions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / complications*
  • Multiple Sclerosis* / complications
  • Multiple Sclerosis* / etiology
  • Multiple Sclerosis* / immunology
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / complications*
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / immunology