The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has long been suspected of playing a role in the onset of multiple sclerosis. A report published in early 2022 in Science reinforced that connection, garnering much attention from the mainstream media as well as MS bloggers, myself included. While the exact mechanism by which EBV and MS are connected remains unknown, and there are surely other factors at play in determining who gets MS and who doesn’t, the two now seem almost inextricably connected.
How This Research News Affected Me Personally
Like many out there who have been searching for the “why me?” answer, I have often wondered how it was that I got MS, as none of the factors thought to be risks for developing the disease apply to me. Then I tacked on an antibody test for EBV to my semiannual bloodwork, and there it was. Although I never contracted infectious mononucleosis, which is usually caused by EBV, I, too, had been exposed to EBV at some point in my lifetime. That being said, most Americans are exposed to EBV in their lifetimes, but most do not develop MS, so there is a lot of work to be done exploring the EBV-MS connection.
How Will We Respond to New Knowledge About EBV?
What we do with the knowledge that EBV infection is a key step on the route to MS is an important question. Whether scientists focus on post-exposure treatment of EBV or a vaccine against infection, eliminating the knock-on effects of EBV on our immune systems will likely move to the head of the research funding queue over the coming years. Just like limiting exposure to relatively benign chickenpox in youth — now possible, thanks to a vaccine — can prevent painful shingles later in life, limiting childhood exposure to EBV may prevent the difficulties MS can bring. Some research already indicates that we can reduce the risk of MS by delaying exposure to EBV.
Preventing MS Doesn’t Replace Treating It
With some researchers now calling EBV “the leading cause of multiple sclerosis,” we’re going to be seeing more headlines in MS medical news on this topic for several years to come. I hope that this research continues to prove fruitful in the long-term fight against the disease but not that it will syphon funding away from research into how to change the course, limit the progression, and repair the damage done by MS once it has started. There are, after all, more than a million people around the world trying to live their best lives with the disease fighting them every step of the way. EBV is the MS story of the year. It would be the MS story of a lifetime if the causative mechanics could be understood and put to use to stop MS before it even starts. Wishing you and your family the best of health. Cheers, Trevis
