Multiple sclerosis: Putting a dampener on inflammation.

摘要

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, demyelinating disease of the CNS that is thought to have an inflammatory aetiology. High levels of glutamate are found in the brains of patients with multiple sclerosis, but the link between this excitatory neurotransmitter and the immuno-pathology is not clear. Now, Fallarino et al. suggest a role for metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGluR4) signalling in dampening the immune response during neuroinflammation, highlighting a pathway that could be exploited therapeutically.