[Immunity and neurodegeneration: new concepts in multiple sclerosis].
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that leads to a progressive deterioration of the neurological functions. The concept of primary myelin and oligodendrocyte damage with axon sparing (axon-myelin dissociation) has been recently reconsidered with the demonstration that neuro-axonal lesions are an early phenomenon, linked to the inflammatory process, observed outside demyelinated areas, and correlated with the progression of the disease. Neurodegeneration in MS, long considered as a late process following recurrent episodes of demyelination, is now accepted as an early and major trigger of MS pathogenesis on which research should focus in the
Lalive
P H
PH
Service de neurologie, Unité de neuroimmunologie, HUG, Genève. patrice.lalive@hcuge.ch
Schluep
M
M
Chofflon
M
M
Du Pasquier
R
R
D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology