The current therapy of multiple sclerosis

The mainstay of treatment for multiple sclerosis in the U.K., and worldwide, remains corticosteroid therapy. High-dose pulses of intravenous methylprednisolone is currently the most favoured agent for acute exacerbations or a sudden acceleration in clinical course. Many patients who follow a more insidious decline rely on symptomatic treatments designed to ameliorate the chronic symptoms associated with their condition. Attempts to influence disease progression using a wide range of immune-modulating agents have not to date been of sufficient clinical benefit to justify their routine usage. With increasing understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms future treatments are being more specifically directed toward disease prevention.