title: The role of B cells in multiple sclerosis: more than antibodies.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a multicomponent disease that is marked by continual inflammation, demyelination and irreparable damage to the central nervous system. While it was long thought to be mediated by T cells, B cells are now understood to be a central component of MS pathology. Dysfunction and aberrant activity of antigen presenting cells, T cells and B cells are all part of the pathophysiology of the disease. B cells and plasma cells contribute to disease progression through multiple mechanisms, including cytokine secretion, antibody production and antigen presentation. More recent evidence suggests that B cells may play a larger role than previously thought in driving acute episodes of MS. In this review we explore the classical understanding of MS, the evidence and current understanding of B cells in the central nervous system in health and disease, and the interactions present between B cells in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. Lastly, we explore targeted immunological treatments which affect B cells and how this has informed our understanding of MS.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and Science Education, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Funaro
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and Science Education, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and Science Education, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA.
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shabbir
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and Science Education, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA.|Department of Neurology, Northwell Health System, New Hyde Park, NY 11549, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and Science Education, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA.|Department of Neurology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY 10075, USA.
authors.forename: Souhel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Najjar
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Inna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tabansky
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and Science Education, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA.|Department of Neurology, Northwell Health System, New Hyde Park, NY 11549, USA.|Department of Neurology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY 10075, USA.|Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Joel N H
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Stern
mesh_terms: D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism