title: Immune response to immunotherapy: the role of neutralising antibodies to interferon beta in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Interferon beta was the first therapy to be approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) more than 10 years ago. Interferon beta reduces relapse rates and disease burden and activity, and it may have beneficial effects on the progression of long-term disease disability. The occurrence of neutralising interferon-beta antibodies has been postulated as a possible cause of the failure of interferon beta in some patients with MS. Here we discuss the basic mechanisms that may account for the generation of an interferon-beta antibody response and its biological implications. We review the evidence for neutralising antibodies as a consequence of interferon-beta treatment, and discuss the implications for the treatment of MS. Strategies to assess and manage the long-term impact of neutralising antibodies will be outlined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany. bernhard.hemmer@uni-duesseldorf.de <bernhard.hemmer@uni-duesseldorf.de>
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hemmer
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stüve
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kieseier
authors.forename: Huub
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schellekens
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Hartung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000502:physiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000502:physiology; D007167:Immunotherapy; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016239:MEDLINE; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016899:Interferon-beta