Possible Method of Action for Copaxone Discovered:
[J Immunol. 2006 Jun 1 - "Therapeutic Induction of Regulatory, Cytotoxic CD8+ T Cells in MS"] ["This is MS"]
"Copaxone, manufactured by Teva Pharmaceuticals, has long been an alternative for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients that do not want to take any of the interferon-class of medications such as Avonex, Rebif or Betaseron. While its efficacy has been shown in numerous clinical trials, its mode of action has always been somewhat of a mystery.

A new study sheds some light on what Copaxone might actually be doing to accomplish its beneficial effect. While the particulars of the research go far beyond the complexity any of us will care to delve into, or perhaps even understand, the basic finding are as follows:

Copaxone administration elevates a particular type of immune system cell. These cells are of the CD8 class, known as the killer T cells for their ability to destroy infected cells. These killer cells, in the presence of Copaxone, regulate the immune system by killing another type of immune system cell known as CD4 . CD4 cells are usually considered 'helper' cells in that they do not actually kill other cells but 'help' the rest of the immune system in doing so by, among other things, activating and directing the killer cells

Why the killing of CD4 cells by CD8 cells turns out to be a good thing is not quite clear. The immune system is exceedingly complex and any number of theories could be presented, such as that the particular 'helper' cells that are killed were the ones directing the attack on the central nervous system. However, what can be deduced is that Copaxone has some immune-system modulating effect that is generally beneficial to MS patients, and a rising number of at least this particular type of killer cell is not detrimental to an MS patients (at least overall)-- otherwise, Copaxone would have likewise had a negative effect on patients. For so many years, the mantra has been that boosting an MS patient's immune system would be a bad idea... as research continues to unfold the puzzle that is MS, it is become clear that that is not entirely the case."