The sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor: A novel therapeutic target for multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a prototype autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Currently, there is no drug that provides a cure for MS. To date, all immunotherapeutic drugs target relapsing remitting MS (RR-MS); it remains a daunting medical challenge in MS to develop therapy for secondary progressive MS (SP-MS). Since the approval of the non-selective sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator FTY720 (fingolimod [Gilenya®]) for RR-MS in 2010, there have been many emerging studies with various selective S1P receptor modulators in other autoimmune conditions. In this article, we will review how S1P receptor may be a promising therapeutic target for SP-MS and other autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, polymyositis and lupus.