The interferon therapy for multiple sclerosis is the main treatment are depend on what type of immune cell involved in the disease, according to a study by the School of Medicine, Stanford University (USA).

The results, published in the online edition of the journal Nature Medicine ‘, suggests that multiple sclerosis patients benefit from treatment with IFN -beta could be identified before starting therapy.

Interferon -beta (IFN -beta) is widely used against multiple sclerosis but is not always effective and do not know well the reasons why the treatment fails.

The scientists, led by Lawrence Steinman, studied experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, the mouse version of multiple sclerosis, and found that the IFN -beta treatment success was based on the type of immune cell that induced the disease.

If the symptoms were caused by so-called TH1 cells, a type of immune system helpers, IFN -beta worked, but if they participated TH17 cells, another type of immune system helpers, the disease worsened.

The researchers found that patients with multiple sclerosis who do not respond to IFN -beta had a worse disease and higher levels of IL- 17F, a molecule produced by TH17 cells, compared with those who responded.

These results raise the possibility of identifying which patients would be able to benefit from IFN -beta even before treatment begins, a prospect with significant clinical and financial implications.

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