Recent research has shown strong links between the Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis Scientists are now getting a better understanding of how EBV infection might upset immune responses, possibly leading to MS Further research might lead to ways of preventing or treating the illness WEDNESDAY, June 19, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- The discovery that the Epstein-Barr virus might be a major driver of multiple sclerosis has re-energized research into the autoimmune disease. Now, investigators in the U.K.
and Sweden believe they might be closer to understanding how the virus, which also causes mononucleosis, might help spur MS. “The discovery of the link between Epstein-Barr Virus [EBV] and multiple sclerosis has huge implications for our understanding of autoimmune disease, but we are still beginning to reveal the mechanisms that are involved," said study senior author , an associate professor of tumor immunology at the University of Birmingham in England. "Our latest study shows that following Epstein-Barr virus infection there is a great deal more immune system misdirection, or cross-reactivity, than previously thought," he explained in a university news release.
Reporting recently in the journal Taylor and his team analyzed blood samples taken from people diagnosed with MS and compared those samples to blood taken from people who'd recently recovered from EBV-linked illness. At issue is the immune system's antibody responses to the presence of EBV. Prior research had det.
