Graduation Year
2019
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Biological and Physical Sciences
Program or Major
Biology
Faculty Advisor
Laura Marcotte
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects 140 out of every 100,000 individuals in North America. MS is believed to be mediated by T cells, in which the T cells directly attack or indirectly activate immune cells for attack on the myelin sheath of neurons, which can lead to blindness, paralysis, muscle weakness, and walking difficulties. Treatment of MS involves the use of immunomodulatory therapeutics, such as interferon-β (IFN-β), to decrease the progression of demyelination within the CNS. IFN-β has been linked to many different immunomodulatory roles in the pathology of MS. Of interest, IFN-β is believed to alter T-cell activation, cytokine production, and transmigration of immune cells. Studies have found that IFN-β increases co-stimulatory molecule production in dendritic cells and monocytes. IFN-β has also been found to alter various cytokine expressions within immune cells, such as T-cells and dendritic cells. In addition, IFN-β inhibits immune cell movement through the blood-brain barrier. These results taken together suggest a complex inhibitory system, propagated by IFN-β signaling, that may reduce the functionality of T cells and dendritic cells, such that T-cells have reduced ability to mediate neuronal attack in cases of MS.
Recommended Citation
Young, Cameron, "The Role of Interferon-β in the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis" (2019). Honors Theses. 52.
https://digitalcommons.assumption.edu/honorstheses/52
Supplemental Materials