Multiple sclerosis – behind the immunity curtains

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis is a CNS disorder that leads to an important disability and cognitive impairment among young adults worldwide, with a meaningful emotional and socioeconomical impact. There is growing evidence pointing to the immune mediated mechanisms involved in the initiation and progression of the disease. Recent studies have redefi ned the brain’s unique concept of immune privileged organ, with the remarkable discovery of the glymphatic system and the presence of meningeal lymphatic vessels required for the transport of metabolic interstitial waste. In this review, we take a brief look at the complex connection between the central nervous system and the peripheral immune system, in which the immune cells gain access through the brain blood barrier and mediate the disease development and to the brain’s peculiar lymphatic drainage, involved in the etiology of MS. The immune system, with its contrasting roles in neuronal damage and tissue regeneration, becomes a honorable partner in the eff orts of fi nding a well-suited