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The role of adenosine and adenosine receptors in the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis

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Abstract

Introduction

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a heterogeneous neurological disorder with multifactorial etiologies characterized by demyelination, axonal degeneration, and oligodendroglial death. It is believed that both genetics and environmental risk factors such as infection are involved in disease etiology. Accumulating evidence indicates that alteration in purinergic system signaling is involved in immunity and inflammation. Adenosine, a key purine nucleoside, has been shown to be produced during metabolic stress, including ischemia, inflammatory condition, and tissue injury.

Methods

Extracellular adenosine directly affects various physiological and pathological processes of MS by stimulating G protein-coupled adenosine receptors A1, A2A, A2B, and A3 on the surface of immune cells. It has been suggested that promotion of adenosinergic system may be an important factor in MS pathophysiology and considered as promising therapeutic target for this disease.

Conclusion

In this review, we will discuss about the immunopathologic effects of adenosine on MS and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Elham Safarzadeh & Mehdi Yousefi

  2. Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Elham Safarzadeh, Morteza Motallebnezhad & Mehdi Yousefi

  3. Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Farhad Jadidi-Niaragh

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  1. Elham Safarzadeh
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  2. Farhad Jadidi-Niaragh
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  3. Morteza Motallebnezhad
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  4. Mehdi Yousefi
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Correspondence to Mehdi Yousefi.

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Responsible Editor: Yoshiya Tanaka.

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Safarzadeh, E., Jadidi-Niaragh, F., Motallebnezhad, M. et al. The role of adenosine and adenosine receptors in the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. Inflamm. Res. 65, 511–520 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-016-0936-z

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