Brain Disorders & Therapy

Abstract

Interleukin-6 Receptor: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Neuromyelitis Optica

Cynthia Wang, Sonya Wolf, Maha Khan and Yang Mao- Draayer

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system causing optic neuritis and transverse myelitis. NMO typically has a worse prognosis than multiple sclerosis due the severity of the acute relapses which lead significant visual and motor impairment. Although the discovery of an NMO-IgG or aquaporin-4 antibody has led to greater understanding about the pathophysiology of the condition, there is currently still no approved treatment for NMO. In this article, will review how IL-6 receptor may be a promising therapeutic target for prevention of NMO relapses.