Natalizumab in Multiple Sclerosis: Discontinuation, Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy and Possible Use in Children Publisher Pubmed



Vitaliti G¹ ; Matin N² ; Tabatabaie O² ; Di Traglia M³ ; Pavone P¹ ; Lubrano R⁴ ; Falsaperla R¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics Published:2015

Abstract

In the early 1990s, attention was drawn to the migration of immune cells into the central nervous system via the blood-brain barrier. The literature showed that lymphocytes binding to the endothelium were successfully inhibited by an antibody against α4β1 integrin. These biological findings resulted in the development of a humanized antibody to α4 integrin - natalizumab (NTZ) - to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, we provide a systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of natalizumab, trying to answer the question whether its use may be recommended both in adult and in pediatric age groups as standard MS treatment. Our results highlight the improvement of clinical and radiological findings in treated patients (p < 0.005), confirming NTZ efficacy. Nevertheless, if NTZ is shown to be efficient, further studies should be performed to evaluate its safety and to target the MS profile that could benefit from this treatment. © 2015 Taylor & Francis.