Exercise Interventions in Autoimmune Neurological Disorders

Exercise interventions are emerging as a vital component of comprehensive management for autoimmune neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Structured physical activity modulates immune function, attenuates neuroinflammation and supports neural repair through a combination of systemic and central mechanisms. Beyond improving mobility, strength and fatigue, exercise elicits shifts in cytokine profiles towards an anti-inflammatory state, restricts autoreactive immune cell migration across the blood–brain barrier, enhances production of neurotrophic factors and promotes remyelination and axonal integrity. These multifaceted effects underscore the potential of tailored exercise regimens as adjunctive disease-modifying strategies, with global significance for patient quality of life and long-term neurological outcomes.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Investigations into high-intensity interval training have revealed specific systemic immunomodulatory effects in an animal model of neuroinflammation. In a proteolipid protein transfer model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, intense treadmill exercise did not alter central susceptibility to autoreactive lymphocytes but significantly reduced disease severity when lymph node cells were harvested from exercised donors. This protective effect was linked to diminished expression of very late antigen-4 on peripheral immune cells, resulting in limited migration of autoreactive cells into the central nervous system and consequent preservation of myelin and neuronal function.

Exercise Interventions in Autoimmune Neurological Disorders publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in exercise interventions in autoimmune neurological disorders across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE): An established animal model of multiple sclerosis characterised by immune-mediated central nervous system demyelination.

Blood–brain barrier (BBB): A selective endothelial interface that regulates the passage of cells and molecules between the bloodstream and the central nervous system.

Cytokine: A small signalling protein secreted by immune cells that mediates inflammation and immune responses.

Neurotrophic factor: A protein that supports the growth, survival and differentiation of neurons, exemplified by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

Microglia: Resident immune effector cells in the central nervous system that orchestrate inflammatory and neuroprotective responses.

Integrin: A family of cell adhesion molecules, including very late antigen-4 (VLA-4), that facilitate immune cell trafficking across vascular endothelium.

References

1. Mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of physical exercise on multiple sclerosis: focus on immune cells. Frontiers in Immunology (2023).
2. Endurance Exercise Attenuates Established Progressive Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis and Is Associated with an Amelioration of Innate Immune Responses in NOD Mice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
3. Exploring the underlying mechanisms of exercise as therapy for multiple sclerosis: insights from preclinical studies. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience (2024).
4. High-intensity interval training attenuates development of autoimmune encephalomyelitis solely by systemic immunomodulation. Scientific Reports (2023).