Critical Mediators of Multiple Sclerosis Disease Suppression

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating §disease of the CNS affecting nearly 3 million people §world-wide. Patients present with a myriad of §symptoms making MS difficult to diagnose. Clinical §presentation of MS ranges from mild to severe, and §no two patients can be said to demonstrate the same §clinical course. Females are three times as likely §as males to be affected, but males often present §with a more severe disease course. Pregnancy §suppresses MS severity in human and animal models. §This is likely due to hormone and genetics §regulation of proteins involved with inflammation §such as PI3K proteins. PI3Ks are involved in §cellular trafficking, growth and death. Sex §dimorphism and pregnancy changes have been noted in §both MS and experimental autoimmune §encephalomyelitis, a commonly used animal model for §MS. These models aid in research development and §improve the understanding of immunological processes §of the disease. The studies outlined in this book §offer findings that support therapeutic advancement §for all forms of MS with a thorough investigation of §factors that guide disease susceptibility and §clinical progression.