Immunotherapy of Neuromyelitis Optica

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that affects the optic nerves and spinal cord resulting in visual impairment and myelopathy. There is a growing body of evidence that immunotherapeutic agents targeting T and B cell functions, as well as activ...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Benjamin Bienia, Roumen Balabanov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2013-01-01
Series:Autoimmune Diseases
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/741490
Description
Summary:Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that affects the optic nerves and spinal cord resulting in visual impairment and myelopathy. There is a growing body of evidence that immunotherapeutic agents targeting T and B cell functions, as well as active elimination of proinflammatory molecules from the peripheral blood circulation, can attenuate disease progression. In this review, we discuss the immunotherapeutic options and the treatment strategies in NMO. We also analyze the pathogenic mechanisms of the disease in order to provide recommendations regarding treatments.
ISSN:2090-0422
2090-0430