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Comment
. 2021 Mar 12;2(3):214-216.
doi: 10.1016/j.medj.2021.02.005.

Capturing pathogenic immune cells before they home to brain

Lawrence Steinman  1
Affiliations
Comment

Capturing pathogenic immune cells before they home to brain

Lawrence Steinman. Med. .

Abstract

In this issue, Kaufmann and colleagues1 describe a population of immune cells that home to brain in multiple sclerosis (MS). Using an approved therapeutic, targeting α4β1integrin, they demonstrated how to trap these cells in blood, opening the possibility for their elimination before they cross into brain.

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Conflict of interest statement

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS Steinman has a patent application on anti-α5 antibody for treatment of neuroinflammatory disease.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Natalizumab blocks lymphocyte homing in MS.
(A) α4β1 integrin binds to vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1) on inflamed brain endothelium. This interaction gives lymphocytes access to the central nervous system (CNS). The presence of immune cells in the brain is a prominent feature of MS. (B) Natalizumab, a humanized antibody to α4β1 integrin, blocks binding of lymphocytes to VCAM on inflamed brain endothelium, thereby preventing lymphocyte entry into the CNS. Shown with permission from the Journal of Cell Biology.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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