Multiple sclerosis would have fewer and fewer secrets for science. This is what emerges from a promising American study that targets the Epstein-Barre virus as responsible for triggering several autoimmune diseases including MS.
It is one of the most common infections. 95% of adults worldwide have the Epstein-Barre virus (EBV), also known as herpes virus 4 “, not to be confused with “ herpes of the cold sore. Cited as a possible cause of infectious mononucleosis or autoimmune diseases such as lupus or type 1 diabetes, EBV might play a role in triggering multiple sclerosis. Perhaps we will finally unravel the mysteries of this progressive inflammatory disease whose precise origin is still unknown… If the genetic track has long been studied, researchers are now looking towards a viral source.
32 times higher risk of developing SEP
A team from Harvard University has indeed analyzed more than 10 million American servicemen in service between 1993 and 2013 as part of their routine medical screenings. Published in the journal Nature (linked below), their survey showed that 801 candidates tested declared multiple sclerosis. However, all had an EBV infection rate thirty-two times higher than normal. Another indicator that reinforces the link between this virus and the development of MS: the presence in number of biomarkers of nerve degeneration, called neurofilaments (NfL), characteristic of multiple sclerosis. The increase in these NfL only occurred following EBV infection…
A hopeful study
« This is the first study providing convincing evidence of causation », welcomed Dr. Alberto Ascherio, head of the cohort of researchers. ” This is a big step forward as it suggests that most MS cases might be prevented by stopping EBV infection. “, he added. The conclusions of these analyzes bring hope for science, which is already thinking regarding several therapeutic openings (vaccines, early antiviral treatment, therapies targeting infected B lymphocytes, etc.). If the authors of the study ruled out new viral leads such as cytomegalovirus, ” other unknowns certainly play a role “, they recognize without further precision. The equation is therefore not quite solved yet…
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