Progress in the fight against multiple sclerosis: They develop a vaccine against its likely leading cause, the Epstein-Barr virus

It’s too early to declare victory, but the results are encouraging. Australian researchers at the QIMR Berghofer Institute for Medical Research have developed an experimental vaccine that has been successfully Long-lasting immune protection against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) In preclinical models, the breakthrough prevented severe viral infection, a major cause of several diseases, including multiple sclerosis and various cancers.

The new vaccine candidate offers an innovative approach that “combines two powerful weapons of the immune system to attack the virus in acute and latent infections.” Although further work is needed, the injection could be complementary to ATA188, a cell therapy being developed by Atara Biotherapeutics that targets the roots of multiple sclerosis.

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vaccine Can provide effective and long-term protection against EBV, Professor Rajiv Khanna from QIMR Berghofer said. “This latent virus hides inside B lymphocytes, turning them into small virus factories ready to divide and spread when our immune defenses decline. It is our killer T cells that detect and control these infected B lymphocytes.” cells,” the teacher pointed out.Thus, the vaccine formulation induces a killer T cell immune response, and neutralizing antibody immune response.

Almost 95 percent of people will be infected with Epstein-Barr virus at some point in their lives, yet most are unaware that the virus lies dormant in the body. This infection usually occurs in early childhood and causes very mild symptoms, but Epstein-Barr virus can cause serious illness in some people. Those who contract the virus during adolescence or young adulthood may develop infectious mononucleosis, Known as “The Kissing Disease” It is a major risk factor for many diseases and cancers.

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A major study published last year confirmed that EBV may be a major cause of multiple sclerosis, An autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. Prevention of Epstein-Barr virus-associated infectious mononucleosis may prevent multiple sclerosis in the future, but despite global research efforts, no vaccine is currently available.

Around 3 million people worldwide live with multiple sclerosis, a disease that causes Symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, limited mobility, pain and brain fog, The outbreak in Spain has affected more than 55,000 people. It is more common in women, especially between the ages of 20 and 40.

In addition to being causally linked to multiple sclerosis, EBV has also been linked to diseases and cancers such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The virus can be fatal in immunosuppressed patients such as transplant recipients.

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