Table 1.

Brief overview of the action of disease-modifying therapies on the immune system

Disease-modifying therapies	World Health Organization classification	Effect on the immune system
Interferon-beta	Immunomodulating agent	Does not cause profound or continuous suppression of immune function
Glatiramer acetate	Immunostimulator
Dimethyl fumarate	Other immunosuppressants	Complex mechanism involving decreased B-cell CD40 expression that is associated with disrupted B-cell activation, decreases in memory T-cells and T-cell proliferation and activation [7]. Causes lymphopenia
Teriflunomide	Selective immunosuppressant	Inhibits the expansion of lymphocyte numbers in response to a stimulus [10]
Fingolimod	Selective immunosuppressant	Continuous suppression of peripheral lymphocytes [6]
Natalizumab	Selective immunosuppressant	Acts as a compartmentalized immunosuppressant in the central nervous system only [8]
Ocrelizumab	Selective immunosuppressant	Inhibition of CD20 lymphocytes [9]
Alemtuzumab	Selective immunosuppressant	Actions consistent with a mechanism involving immune reconstitutiona
Cladribine Tablets	Selective immunosuppressant

^aSee text for references