Oncostatin M: a love-hate relationship in neuroinflammation

Abstract

Oncostatin M and multiple sclerosis: Every 5 minutes, someone in the world is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic inflammatory and degenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). MS appears in unpredictable episodes of symptoms, which are highly patient-dependent, but often include visual impairment, muscle weakness/spasms, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and bladder, bowel, or sexual dysfunction. In severe cases, MS patients become wheelchairbound due to paralysis. These symptoms are the result of a dysfunctional signal transduction from one neuron to another after the immune system has attacked the neuron's insulating myelin sheath. Therefore, hyperactivation of immune cells and the presence of demyelinating plaques in the CNS are the main pathological hallmarks of MS.