A Review of Multiple Sclerosis Treatments: Interferon Beta, Glatiramer Acetate, Fingolimod, and Natalizumab

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system works to demyelinate the myelin sheaths in the central nervous system. The beginning of the review will concentrate on the history of MS while also describing how MS, the disease, differs from that of normal immune responses. The review then shifts to the four different stages of MS and how to differentiate between the stages, since the treatment options are often dependent on the stage of MS that the patient is in. The main focus of this review is to take an in depth look on four specific medications for treating MS: Interferon Beta, Glatiramer Acetate, Fingolimod, and Natalizumab. Each medication will be described along with detailing their mechanism of action, or proposed mechanism of action, and the specific stages of MS that it has been proven to help. While there is no cure for MS, these medications have been implemented to help reduce the flare-up (relapses) of the symptoms produced by this autoimmune disease. The conclusions of the review offer some insight into newer research and possible paths that researchers should consider.