The role of the Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis
Seminar Epidemiologie mit Dr. Marianna Cortese (Boston)
Dr. Marianna Cortese (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston)
The role of the Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has long been a suspect etiologic factor for MS. The proof of causality has, however, remained elusive. This talk will tell the story of how a 20-year collaborative research effort with the US military led to unraveling the causal link between EBV and MS in a cohort study of 10 million young adults on active duty in the US military. The results, published in Science in 2022, strongly suggest EBV infection as the leading cause of MS. This opens completely new pathways to prevention and therapy of this important neurological disease.
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