Targeting immune infiltration to the central nervous system (cns)

A method of diagnosing and treating an inflammatory disease or disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising:

• (a) analyzing a level of CD157-expressing cells in the CNS of the subject, wherein said CD157-expressing cells comprise myeloid cells wherein a level of said CD157-expressing cells above a predetermined threshold is indicative of said inflammatory disease or disorder of the CNS, and
• (b) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an agent capable of treating the inflammatory disease or disorder of the CNS in the subject, optionally, wherein said agent capable of treating the inflammatory disease or disorder of the CNS comprises an agent capable of binding CD157 on said CD157-expressing cells of said CNS, said agent capable of mediating a therapeutic effect, and optionally, wherein said agent capable of treating the inflammatory disease or disorder of the CNS is selected from the group consisting of an anti-inflammatory drug, an immunosuppressant drug, an immunomodulatory drug, a neuroprotective drug, a cognitive enhancing drug, a remyelination agent and an antitumor agent, optionally, wherein said antitumor agent is a localized cancer targeting therapy,
• thereby diagnosing and treating the neuroinflammatory disease or disorder in the subject.

A chimeric polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding an expression product capable of alleviating at least one symptom of an inflammatory disease or disorder and another nucleic acid sequence comprising a cis acting regulatory element specifically active in a CD157-expressing cell.