Multiple sclerosis: From new concepts to updates on management

International audience; During the last 20 years, outstanding advances in the knowledge of pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis have aimed to improve the management of the patients. As guest editor of this special issue of Quarterly medical review/Presse médicale, I am pleased to introduce an overview of the disease, starting with the definition of new criteria in multiple sclerosis (2010 MacDonald's criteria) and ending with the incoming of more effective ongoing therapies. Several renowned experts accepted to share their personal research and/or review the recent insights in the field. Bryan Nicol, Marion Salou, Hartmut Wekerle and myself (Nantes, France and Munich, Germany) tried to summarize their view on the basic immunology of the disease . Vasiliki Pantazou, Myriam Schluep and Renaud du Pasquier (Lausanne, Switzerland) focused on the role of environmental factors as contributors for the understanding of the disease. The criteria of multiple sclerosis (MS), on a clinical point of view, have been stressed by Eric Thouvenot (Nîmes, France). As new ongoing treatments are now available, it was mandatory to review the management of the patients in the light of these trends, which was achieved by Laure Michel, Catherine Larochelle and Alexandre Prat (Montreal, Canada). Sonia Narula and Brenda Banwell (Philadelphia, United States) accepted to clarify the specificities of multiple sclerosis in children [6]. Finally, Benedetta Bodini, Céline Louapre and Bruno Stankoff (Paris, France) reviewed the new techniques in imaging that will be soon applied in MS patients and the last, but not least, Cécile Donzé (Lille, France) accepted to make an overview on rehabilitation in MS patients. I wish to thank all the authors for their clear and updated reviews that make this issue useful for the readers. It is hoped that these novel insights in various fields of multiple sclerosis will have a deep impact on the management of patients with this class of disabling and mostly chronic disease.