Direct Central Nervous System Therapeutic Effects of Fingolimod in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis(MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system(CNS), which has not be cured yet. Fingolimod(FTY720) is a newly oral disease-modifying therapy approved for RRMS. The mechanism of action of fingolimod in MS has primarily been considered as selectively retaining autoreactive lymphocytes in lymph nodes to reduce damaging infiltration into the CNS. However,emerging evidence indicated that fingolimod has direct effects in the CNS in MS, which may be more important than the former. This review focused on the advances in direct CNS therapeutic effects of fingolimod in MS.