Multiple sclerosis can be caused by genetic, environmental but also infectious factors, with the Epstein-Barr virus. Developing a targeted treatment could prevent the disease from developing.
- Currently, there is no treatment that can cure multiple sclerosis.
- The proposed drug solutions only allow to relieve the symptoms and to improve the quality of life of the patients.
110,000. This is the number of people affected by multiple sclerosis in France, according to Inserm. This autoimmune disease affects the central nervous system and leads to immune system dysfunction. It is the leading cause of severe non-traumatic disability in young adults. According to a new study published in the journal Science, this pathology could be caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. According to the authors of the research, its presence in the body of a patient would allow the disease to develop.
A 32 times higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis
To reach this conclusion, scientists followed, for 20 years, more than ten million young American soldiers. Among them, 955 were suffering from multiple sclerosis. From these data, the team of researchers was able to determine that the risk of contracting multiple sclerosis after being infected with the Epstein-Barr virus was multiplied by 32. This is “the first study providing convincing evidence of causation”, explained Alberto Ascherio, lead author of the study. In contrast, there was no link between multiple sclerosis and other viruses.
Soon a vaccine against the Epstein-Barr virus?
“This is an important step, as it suggests that most cases of multiple sclerosis could be prevented by stopping Epstein-Barr virus infection. Targeting this virus could lead to the discovery of a cure,” added Alberto Ascherio. The Moderna pharmaceutical laboratory is working on it. Last week, its leaders announced that they had started clinical trials of a vaccine against the Epstein-Barr virus on humans. Ultimately, if the experiments are conclusive, this vaccine could therefore constitute a future treatment for all those affected by multiple sclerosis. A major advance, especially since the authors estimated that 95% of all adults are carriers of the Epstein-Barr virus.
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