Introduction: Multiple sclerosis is a non-traumatic neurological disease caused by an immune-mediated reaction leading to a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system. The treatments for multiple sclerosis are mainly divided into three categories: treatment of exacerbation, slowing disease progression with disease-modifying therapies, and symptomatic therapies. Natalizumab is a monoclonal antibody that works by preventing the adhesion of lymphocytes into the endothelium of the blood-brain barrier, reducing lymphocyte infiltration into the central nervous system. This review aims to study the efficacy and safety of natalizumab in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
Methods: The review was performed using databases like PubMed, Cochrane library, Google scholar from which 48 relevant articles were selected based on the various inclusion criteria. The following keywords were used: “Natalizumab”, “Multiple sclerosis”, “side effects”, “Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis”, “progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy” in different combinations.
Results: The literature review suggests that natalizumab reduces the rate of sustained progression of the disease and disability, and was associated with a lower relapse rate in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. However, Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is one of the serious side effects of natalizumab.
Conclusion: The literature review suggests that Natalizumab has favorable outcomes in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Since progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is one of the serious side effects of natalizumab, risk stratification should be done.
Chemokine receptors associated with immunity within and outside the central nervous system in early relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis
