Menu
Back to Journals » Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease » Volume 7
Treating primary-progressive multiple sclerosis: potential of ocrelizumab and review of B-cell therapies
Authors Feng JJ , Ontaneda D
Received 27 October 2016
Accepted for publication 23 December 2016
Published 1 February 2017 Volume 2017:7 Pages 31—45
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/DNND.S100096
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single anonymous peer review
Peer reviewer comments 2
Editor who approved publication: Prof. Dr. Thomas Müller
Jenny J Feng,1 Daniel Ontaneda2
1Department of Neurology, 2Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
Abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy has evolved rapidly with an increased availability of several immunomodulating therapies over the past two decades. Disease-modifying therapies have proven to be effective in treating relapse–remitting MS (RRMS). However, clinical trials involving some of the same agents for secondary-progressive and primary-progressive MS (SPMS and PPMS) have been largely negative. The pathogenesis of progressive MS remains unclear, but B-cells may play a significant role in chronic compartmentalized inflammation, likely contributing to disease progression. Biologics targeted at B-cells, such as rituximab, are effective in treating RRMS. Ocrelizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody to CD20+ B-cells that has shown positive results in PPMS with a significant reduction in disease progression. This review aims to discuss in detail the involvement of B-cells in MS pathogenesis, current progress of currently available and investigational biologics, with focus on ocrelizumab, and future prospects for B-cell therapy in PPMS.
Keywords: Ocrelizumab, primary progressive multiple sclerosis, B-cells
© 2017 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.
By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.