Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a long-term disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. It is an autoimmune condition, which means the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy cells.
In MS, the immune system damages a layer called the myelin sheath that protects nerve cells. This damage makes it harder for the nerves to send messages and can cause problems with movement, balance, and thinking. MS affects about 2.8 million people worldwide and can lead to disability or even death.
For a long time, scientists have been trying to figure out what causes MS. Now, a major study from Harvard University has found strong evidence that a common virus called Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may be the main cause.
EBV is a type of herpes virus that infects about 95% of adults around the world. It is known for causing mononucleosis, sometimes called “mono” or the “kissing disease.” Once someone is infected with EBV, the virus stays in their body for life.
Scientists have suspected for years that EBV might be linked to MS, but proving this has been difficult. That’s because almost everyone has EBV, but only a few people get MS. Also, MS symptoms often begin many years after someone is infected with EBV, making it hard to connect the two directly.
In this new study, researchers looked at health records from more than 10 million young adults in the U.S. military. Among them, 955 people developed MS during their time in service. The researchers studied blood samples that had been collected every two years to see when each person had become infected with EBV.
The results were surprising. The risk of getting MS went up 32 times after a person was infected with EBV. None of the other viruses tested showed any link to MS. The scientists also found higher levels of a protein called neurofilament light chain, which shows that nerves are being damaged. These levels only went up after the EBV infection.
This suggests that EBV may trigger the process that causes MS. The delay between getting the virus and showing MS symptoms may be due to the disease developing slowly over time or the way the immune system reacts to the virus. The researchers believe this link between EBV and MS cannot be explained by other known risk factors.
This discovery could lead to new ways to prevent or treat MS. Right now, there are no approved vaccines or treatments that specifically target EBV. But if scientists can create a vaccine or antiviral medication for EBV, they may be able to stop MS before it starts.
The study also shows that future research should focus more on EBV and its role in autoimmune diseases like MS. If most cases of MS are caused by EBV, then preventing the virus could help millions of people avoid the disease altogether.
This important research was led by Alberto Ascherio and published in the journal Science. It gives new hope for finding better ways to treat and possibly prevent multiple sclerosis.
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