Epstein-Barr virus may be leading cause of multiple sclerosis

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers found that multiplesclerosis, a disease that affects over two million people worldwide and has no cure, is most likely caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.

Their findings will be published in the journal Science.

The first study to provide compelling evidence of causality is the senior author of the study, and he said that the hypothesis of the cause of the disease has been investigated by his group and others for several years. This is a big step because it suggests that most cases of the disease could be prevented by stopping the transmission of the disease.

Multiplesclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that attacks the myelin sheaths protecting the brain and spine. One of the top suspects is the herpesviruses, which can cause infectious mononucleosis and establish a lifelong infection of the host. It has been difficult to establish a relationship between the virus and the disease because of the fact that most people who are exposed to the virus will not experience any symptoms. A study of 10 million young adults on active duty in the U.S. military identified 955 who were diagnosed with multiplesclerosis during their service.

The team looked at the soldiers' EBV status at the time of their first sample and found a correlation between the disease and their time on active duty. The risk of multiplesclerosing choriosclerosing choriosclerosing choriosclerosing choriosclerosing choriosclerosing choriosclerosing choriosclerosing choriosclerosing choriosclerosing choriosclerosing cho The levels of the light chain in the blood increased after the infection. The findings cannot be explained by any known risk factor for the disease and suggest that the leading cause is EBV.

The emergence of the host's immune system and the early detection of the disease's symptoms may explain the delay in the start of the disease.

There is no way to effectively prevent or treat the disease, but a vaccine or drug that targets the virus could be used to cure it.

Other Harvard Chan School researchers who contributed to the study include Kjetil Bjornevik, Marianna Cortese, Michael Mina, and Kassandra Munger.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the German Research Foundation all funded the study.

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Journal reference

Kjetil Bjornevik, Marianna Cortese, Brian C. Healy, Jens Kuhle, Michael J. Mina, Stephen J. Elledge, David W. There is high prevalence of the Epstein-Barr virus associated with multiplesclerosis. The science, abj8222 is a book.