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HISTORY OF INTERFERON TREATMENTS IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS – 60 YEARS OF PROGRESS

CARMEN ADELLA SÎRBU ^1#, CRISTINA MANUELA DRĂGOI ^2#*, ALINA CRENGUȚA NICOLAE ^2#, CRISTINA FLORENTINA PLEȘA ^1#

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Interferons are biopharmaceutical agents which were discovered based on the phenomenon of viral interference, in 1957. Three categories of interferons were described: IFN I (IFN-α, IFN-β), IFN II (IFN-γ) and IFN III (IFN-λ). These cytokines, whose importance is comparable to that of penicillin, act on specific receptors and activate the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) complexes which regulate the expression of over 200 genes of the immune system. Based on their antiviral and immunomodulatory effects, they were approved in 1993 for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, becoming a part of the Disease Modifying Therapies - DMTs drugs category. The studies that followed demonstrated a long term good safety profile and an acceptable efficacy. New formulas meant to improve the adherence to treatment, were approved recently. At the moment, the research is focused on developing new pharmacogenetic markers for enabling a personalized treatment with IFN. This treatment should approach to the score of 4 points in NEDA (no relapses, no disability progression, no MRI activity, and no change in the brain volume).