Reparative inflammation in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, in which repeated episodes of acute auto-inflammatory attacks trigger demyelinating injury in the central nervous system. Whereas our understanding of the disease-causing immune activation is constantly increasing, much less is known about the injury-induced reparative innate immune responses. Here, we discuss the essential function of microglia and monocyte-derived macrophages in orchestrating debris clearance and regeneration. Dampening reparative inflammation can result in insufficient clearance and, thus, to persisting damage, with the consequences of prolonged inflammation. Thus, an understanding of the entire spectrum of inflammatory responses is essential for the prevention of injury-inducing and the stimulation of repair promoting functions of the immune system.