SFB TR-128

Copious research efforts have been undertaken in MS research in the last three decades to unravel immune mechanisms in the periphery thought to be responsible for disease onset and effector mechanisms mediating CNS damage. However, the underlying molecular causes of MS are still not understood and prognostic estimates can hardly be given to patients in the absence of valid surrogate markers. Traditional therapeutic disease modifying regimens aim at immunomodulation or immunosuppression and were developed in the context of autoimmune research in conjunction with other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and diabetes mellitus. However, response to anti-inflammatory therapeutic interventions differs significantly between MS and other autoimmune disorders. Moreover, in many MS patients, response to the current interventions has only limited impact on disease progression. Finally, novel therapies in MS aimed at reducing the CNS-directed immune responses are associated..