summary: Interferon beta (IFNb) is one of the accepted treatments for MS, but its exact mechanism of action is not yet completely understood. There is biological evidence that Th17, a specific type of immune cell, has an important role in the pathogenesis of MS. A significant accumulation of these cells has been found in the lesions of people with MS. The authors aimed to investigate the influence of IFNb on all different levels of Th17 metabolism. The main results were that IFNb suppressed the activity of Th17 cells at different stages of their metabolism, both directly, by preventing them from becoming “active”, and indirectly, by preventing other immune cells from producing specific proteins directly involved in the metabolism of Th17. This study provides some insights into the mechanism of action of IFNb.

authors: Ramgolam VS, Sha Y, Jin J, Zhang X, Markovic-Plese S

source: J Immunol. 2009 Sep 25

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category: Immunology

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