Immunotherapy

The central nervous system (CNS) has been referred as an immune privilege, in which local immune responses are restricted (Hailer et al., 1998; Cohen and Schwartz, 1999; Neumann, 2000; Pachter et al., 2003; Villoslada and Genain, 2004; Hatterer et al., 2005). Unlike most peripheral tissues, the CNS functions through a network of post mitotic cells (neurons) that are incapable of regeneration and hence any immune activity might interfere with cell function. CNS is vulnerable to damage that might be caused by the very means that the immune system uses to defend peripheral tissues from pathogens. Consequently, immune privilege in the CNS has been viewed as an evolutionary adaptation developed to protect the intricate neuronal networks of the CNS from incursion by the immune system (Lotan and Schwartz, 1994; Lotan et al., 1994).