Immunological treatment of multiple sclerosis

Treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been a challenge since its first description by Charcot. The advent of immunomodulatory drugs in the mid 1990s brought the first big change in the treatment of MS patients. During the last 10 years there has been an ongoing tremendous evolution of novel treatment options for relapsing-remitting MS. These options include monoclonal antibodies, which inhibit migration of lymphocytes (natalizumab), deplete lymphocytes (alemtuzumab), or block the cytokine receptor interleukin (IL)-2 (daclizumab), teriflunomide that inhibits proliferation of activated lymphocytes, fingolimod that modulates the sphingosine-receptor system, and dimethylfumarate that combines features of immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive drugs. The topic of this review is to discuss currently available treatments and provide an outlook into the near future.