IFN-β as a treatment for MS

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that remains a major cause of disability. Interferon-β is a current effective treatment for relapsing-remitting (RR) MS that reduces the frequency of clinical exacerbations and delays the progression of disability. IFN-β is a pleiotropic cytokine with diverse and cell-specific mechanisms of action including potent anti-viral, immune-stimulating, and immunosuppressive activities. It has been shown that IFN-β can modulate the immune system in different ways including downregulation of class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and limiting migration of immune cells across the blood brain barrier possibly through the downregulation of inflammatory genes like endothelial adhesion molecules, chemokines, and proteases. In addition, several studies have demonstrated the effect of IFN-β to mitigate the increased blood levels of T cell-derived cytokines IFN-γ, IL-4/IL13, and TNF-α in MS compared to normal subjects , which otherwise act to increase proinflammatory transcription factors STAT1, STAT6, and NF-κB observed in MS patients.