Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a serious disease that affects the brain and spinal cord.
It damages the protective covering around nerves, known as the myelin sheath, which makes it harder for the brain to send signals to the rest of the body.
Over time, this leads to problems with movement, vision, and other body functions. In the most severe cases, MS can cause major disabilities or even death. Around 2.8 million people around the world live with this condition.
For many years, scientists have tried to understand what causes MS. Now, researchers from Harvard University have made a major discovery that could solve this mystery. Their study shows strong evidence that a common virus called Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may be the main cause of MS.
EBV is a type of herpes virus that infects about 95% of all adults. Most people catch it when they are young. The virus can cause an illness called mononucleosis, also known as “mono” or the “kissing disease.” Once someone is infected, the virus stays in their body for life, even if they don’t feel sick.
Scientists have suspected for a long time that there might be a link between EBV and MS. However, proving this has been very difficult. Almost everyone has EBV, but only a small number of people develop MS. Plus, MS often starts many years after someone gets infected with EBV, making it harder to study.
To solve this puzzle, Harvard researchers looked at health records from more than 10 million young adults in the U.S. military. Out of those, 955 people were diagnosed with MS while in service.
The researchers studied blood samples taken from these individuals every two years. This allowed them to track when the soldiers became infected with EBV and when they began showing signs of MS.
Their findings were striking. People who got infected with EBV were 32 times more likely to develop MS later on. Infections with other viruses did not increase the risk. The scientists also looked for signs of nerve damage in the blood and found that these signs only appeared after the person had been infected with EBV.
These results provide strong evidence that EBV is not just linked to MS but may be the main cause. The researchers believe the delay between the infection and MS symptoms may be due to early changes in the body that are hard to detect and the way the immune system reacts over time.
This discovery could change the way MS is prevented and treated. Right now, there is no vaccine or medicine that can stop EBV. But if one could be developed, it might prevent many cases of MS or even lead to a cure.
The study was led by scientist Alberto Ascherio and published in the journal Science. It gives hope to millions of people affected by MS and could lead to new treatments in the future. The research also shows how important it is to study viruses like EBV to better understand autoimmune diseases.
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