title: Natalizumab in pediatric multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: Pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) comprises 2-5% of all cases of MS. Although first-line disease-modifying therapy (DMT) including interferons and glatiramer acetate appear to be well tolerated in this population, recent work has suggested that a growing number of children suffer from disease which is resistant to treatment with these therapies. Natalizumab is a therapy which, although associated with a 1 : 1000 risk for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), has been shown to be well tolerated in the adult population and may lead to disease remission in adults with highly active disease. Reports of use of this therapy in the pediatric population with highly active disease have been published. This paper reviews current experience with the use of natalizumab in the pediatric MS population, with attention to potential risks and possible long-term outcomes in this population.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Demyelinating Disorders Center of the Jacobs Neurological Institute, Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, and Department of Neurology, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: E Ann
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weinstock-Guttman