Amit Bar-Or: breaking new ground in multiple sclerosis

Abstract

“Among the many fascinating scientific questions that remain to be explored, I'm particularly motivated by those whose answers will have an impact on human health”, begins Amit Bar-Or. A distinguished professor of neurology and clinician scientist, Bar-Or (University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA) is always thinking ahead: what are the unmet needs, and where should we be working harder? His contribution to understanding immune cells subtypes and their interactions, and specifically B-cell contributions to multiple sclerosis, broke new ground, which he continues to do while appearing remarkably grounded in himself: “yes, it's probably fair to say that”, he agrees. Cellular immunology of relapsing multiple sclerosis: interactions, checks, and balancesNovel insights from basic and translational studies are reshaping concepts of the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and understanding of the different inflammatory responses throughout the disease course. Previously, the cellular immunology of relapsing multiple sclerosis was considered to be principally T-cell driven; however, this process is now understood to involve multiple cell types and their functionally distinct subsets. Particularly, relapsing multiple sclerosis appears to involve imbalanced interactions between T cells, myeloid cells, B cells, and their effector and regulatory subpopulations. Full-Text PDF