Review of Causes and Treatments in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complicated neurological disease in which the central nervous system gradually deteriorates. The body’s immune system wrongly targets the protective myelin coating around nerves, treating it as a threat and damaging it. Due to the loss of the myelin sheath, signals cannot be transmitted anymore. While its exact causes remain unknown, previous research suggests that it has genetic and environmental causes. This paper examines the causes and existing treatment options, with a particular focus on the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) system, specifically the HLA-DRB1 gene. As is well known, the HLA-DRB1 gene is one of the candidates for the control of immune system function and has been strongly and constantly associated with the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. This paper shows how HLA-DRB1 variations influence the susceptibility to MS, and what consequences this could have for further research and treatment approaches. It also includes the environmental causes of the disease, along with an overview of the existing treatments for the same. While no experiment was done to observe the effects, through different sources, research has been done to understand the relationship between the HLA gene, the environment, and the increased risk of MS.