What is the role of Brain derived neurotrophic factor in Multiple Sclerosis neuroinflammation?

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory and degenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) with an unknown etiology. The MS pathophysiology is due to altered bidirectional interactions between several immune cell types in the periphery (such as T and B cells, myeloid cells) and resident CNS cells (such as microglia and astrocytes). It is also known that inflammatory responses have both detrimental and neuroprotective effects. The release of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by immune cells, in both peripheral blood and into inflammatory lesions in MS, but also by microglia and astrocytes, into the CNS, seems to be a possible mechanism for this neuroprotective effect. So far, the link between BDNF and neuroinflammation has been poorly investigated. A better understanding of this link could help in the development of new therapeutic strategies for MS. In this review, the role of BDNF in MS will be discussed as well as its possible alternative as an innovative therapeutic target