Epstein-Barr virus activity may foreshadow multiple sclerosis attacks

edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan

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Add as preferred source Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A new study illuminates the connection between the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and multiple sclerosis (MS), pointing to a causal role for reactivation of the virus in triggering MS attacks in people with certain genetic risk factors.

In a study of blood samples from more than 100 participants with MS, Mass General Brigham researchers detected increased EBV lytic activity in immune cells up to three months before MS relapse and discovered that these cells also showed elevated expression of genes linked to MS risk. The finding helps explain how a common virus and genetic risk may work together to trigger MS attacks.