Epstein Barr Virus

Epstein-Barr virus, frequently referred to as EBV, is a member of the herpesvirus family and one of the most common human viruses. The virus occurs worldwide, and most people become infected with EBV sometime during their lives.

Multiple Sclerosis and the Epstein Barr Virus

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a herpes virus otherwise known of as human herpesvirus 4 (HHV-4). It is most well known for causing glandular fever but research shows that EBV infection is also linked to an increased risk for various autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis and multiple sclerosis.

What is the Epstein-Barr Virus?

Epstein-Barr virus infection predisposes people to develop Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease, a debilitating inflammatory bowel disease, has many known contributing factors, including bacterial changes in the microbiome that foster an inflammatory environment.

3 Mar 2025

Researchers identify MLC1 as potential target in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system caused by the immune system. B cells, which are a type of white blood cell, play a role in the development of MS and are thus a target for therapies.

18 Feb 2025

Cancer-free for 18 years: CAR-T therapy sets new milestone in neuroblastoma treatment

A groundbreaking study in Nature Medicine reveals that GD2 CAR-T cell therapy can lead to long-term remission in children with neuroblastoma, with one patient remaining cancer-free for over 18 years.

17 Feb 2025

The growing list of human viruses: Are we prepared for the next outbreak?

Researchers review the ever-growing list of human viruses, examining their diversity, transmission pathways, and the urgent need for prevention and global surveillance.

12 Feb 2025

Understanding infection risks in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a vital treatment for both malignant and non-malignant disorders in pediatric patients.

7 Feb 2025

New AI tool promises faster vaccine development by predicting T cell epitopes

An exciting collaboration between the Ragon Institute and the Jameel Clinic at MIT has achieved a significant milestone in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to aid the development of T cell vaccine candidates.

29 Jan 2025

Mapping the human virome to improve disease prevention and treatment

You, my friend, are what scientists call a "holobiont"- an organism made up of human cells and the multiplicity of microscopic species living inside you and on your body.

24 Jan 2025

Breakthrough in antigen recognition: TRACeR-I enhances immune targeting

Researchers describe TRACeR-I, a protein platform that can be used to engineer immune responses.

19 Dec 2024

Early exposure to parental smoking linked to higher MS risk

Cutting early life exposure to parental smoking may lower the risk of developing MS (multiple sclerosis) in those who are genetically predisposed to the disease, finds research published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

11 Dec 2024

Air pollution linked to head and neck cancer risk

Increased PM2.5 levels are linked to higher head and neck cancer risk, particularly in disadvantaged communities, highlighting urgent public health measures.

15 Nov 2024

VANCE trial marks milestone in t cell therapy for solid tumors

The largest ever clinical trial of T cell therapy for solid tumors has ended, heralding a new era for precision T cell therapy.

11 Nov 2024

Elevated antibody responses to Epstein-Barr virus linked to increased risk of multiple sclerosis

Researchers identified a unique antibody signature against the Epstein-Barr virus protein EBNA1 that correlates with cross-reactive immune responses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This connection provides new insights into how EBV infection may drive MS pathogenesis.

5 Nov 2024

Houston Methodist researchers join national consortium to develop herpesvirus vaccine

Houston Methodist researchers will be part of a national consortium funded by an up to $49 million award from the U.S. Government's Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop a vaccine against two of the most common and destructive strains of herpesviruses that latently infect a majority of Americans and can lead to acute infections, multiple forms of cancer, autoimmune disease and birth defects.

3 Oct 2024

Exploring the distinct characteristics of Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma

This review offers an in-depth exploration of Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma (NLPHL), highlighting its distinct characteristics across various domains such as epidemiology, clinical presentation, histopathology, immunophenotype, genetic findings, and challenges in differential diagnosis.

13 Aug 2024

Long-term immune changes persist in unvaccinated COVID-19 patients

Study reveals that unvaccinated individuals experience significant long-term changes in immune parameters up to ten months post-COVID-19 infection, with a shift towards a Th2 cytokine profile.

21 Jul 2024

Study identifies RFC4 as key player in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Lichuan Wu et al., at Medical College of Guangxi University, China, presented a comprehensive study on the role of replication factor C subunit 4 (RFC4) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a type of epithelial cancer commonly associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection.

12 Jul 2024

Study: 40% of cancer cases in the U.S. attributable to modifiable risk factors

A new study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) finds four in 10 cancer cases and about one-half of all cancer deaths in adults 30 years old and older in the United States (or 713,340 cancer cases and 262,120 cancer deaths in 2019) could be attributed to modifiable risk factors, including cigarette smoking, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, diet, and infections.

11 Jul 2024

How Epstein-Barr virus shapes immune responses in multiple sclerosis

Study found that EBV-specific immune responses in MS patients showed higher IgG titers and cell-mediated reactions to EBV antigens compared to healthy controls, suggesting a complex role of EBV in MS development.

9 Jun 2024

Does diet influence the onset of multiple sclerosis?

A recent study using the UK Biobank data indicates that a healthy diet, including moderate fatty fish and alcohol consumption, can reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) onset.

5 Jun 2024

Understanding the link between EBV-infected B cells and multiple sclerosis

The Wistar Institute's Paul M. Lieberman, Ph.D., and lab team led by senior staff scientist and first author, Samantha Soldan, Ph.D., have demonstrated how B cells infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can contribute to a pathogenic, inflammatory phenotype that contributes to multiple sclerosis (MS); the group has also shown how these problematic B cells can be selectively targeted in a way that reduces the damaging autoimmune response of multiple sclerosis.

28 May 2024