Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2007 Oct;4(4):647-53.
doi: 10.1016/j.nurt.2007.08.002.

Mechanism of action of glatiramer acetate in treatment of multiple sclerosis

Martin S Weber  1 , Reinhard Hohlfeld, Scott S Zamvil
Affiliations
Review

Mechanism of action of glatiramer acetate in treatment of multiple sclerosis

Martin S Weber et al. Neurotherapeutics. 2007 Oct.

Abstract

Glatiramer acetate (GA) (Copolymer-1, Copaxone, Teva, Israel, YEAK) is a polypeptide-based therapy approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Most investigations have attributed the immunomodulatory effect of GAs to its capability to alter T-cell differentiation. Specifically, GA treatment is believed to promote development of Th2-polarized GA-reactive CD4(+) T-cells, which may dampen neighboring inflammation within the central nervous system. Recent reports indicate that the deficiency in CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) regulatory T-cells in multiple sclerosis is restored by GA treatment. GA also exerts immunomodulatory activity on antigen presenting cells, which participate in innate immune responses. These new findings represent a plausible explanation for GA-mediated T-cell immune modulation and may provide useful insight for the development of new and more effective treatment options for multiple sclerosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Teitelbaum D, Meshorer A, Hirshfeld T, Amon R, Sela M. Suppression of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis by a synthetic polypeptide. Eur J Immunol. 1971;1:242–248. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830010406. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bomstein MB, Miller AI, Teitelbaum D, Amon R, Sela M. Multiple sclerosis: trial of a synthetic polypeptide. Ann Neurol. 1982;11:317–319. doi: 10.1002/ana.410110314. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bomstein MB, Miller A, Slagle S, et al. A pilot trial of Cop 1 in exacerbating-remitting multiple sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 1987;317:408–414. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198708133170703. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Johnson KP, Brooks BR, Cohen JA, et al. Copolymer 1 reduces relapse rate and improves disability in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: results of a phase III multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Neurology. 1995;45:1268–1276. - PubMed
    1. Comi G, Filippi M, Wolinsky JS. European/Canadian multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of the effects of glatiramer acetate on magnetic resonance imaging—measured disease activity and burden in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis. European/Canadian Glatiramer Acetate Study Group. Ann Neurol. 2001;49:290–297. doi: 10.1002/ana.64. - DOI - PubMed

MeSH terms