title: The role of adenosine and adenosine receptors in the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a heterogeneous neurological disorder with multifactorial etiologies characterized by demyelination, axonal degeneration, and oligodendroglial death. It is believed that both genetics and environmental risk factors such as infection are involved in disease etiology. Accumulating evidence indicates that alteration in purinergic system signaling is involved in immunity and inflammation. Adenosine, a key purine nucleoside, has been shown to be produced during metabolic stress, including ischemia, inflammatory condition, and tissue injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Extracellular adenosine directly affects various physiological and pathological processes of MS by stimulating G protein-coupled adenosine receptors A1, A2A, A2B, and A3 on the surface of immune cells. It has been suggested that promotion of adenosinergic system may be an important factor in MS pathophysiology and considered as promising therapeutic target for this disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this review, we will discuss about the immunopathologic effects of adenosine on MS and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.|Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Safarzadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jadidi-Niaragh
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motallebnezhad
authors.affiliation: Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Yousefime@tbzmed.ac.ir.|Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Yousefime@tbzmed.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yousefi
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology*; D018047:Receptors, Purinergic P1 / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018047:Receptors, Purinergic P1; D000241:Adenosine
keywords: Adenosine; Adenosine receptor; Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; Multiple sclerosis