Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a disease in which the immune system eats away at an affected individual’s nerves. Myelin sheaths, insulating layers made up of proteins and fatty substances, coat our neurons. The myelin allows electrical impulses between the nerves to be transmitted quickly. These electrical impulses are how our nerves communicate, allowing us to perform pretty much every function. If the myelin sheath is damaged, the nerves can no longer communicate.
Although MS is relatively rare and affects less than 200,000 individuals annually, it can be debilitating. Some patients are able to lead relatively normal lives, but others experience severe chronic symptoms such as vision loss, pain, and impaired coordination. There is no known cure and the cause is also unknown.
Recently, researchers at Harvard University performed a longitudinal study that suggests Epstein Barr virus, or EBV, might be the leading cause of MS. EBV is the virus that causes mononucleosis, commonly known as mono. Finding this correlation was difficult, as approximately 95% of US adults have been infected by EBV at some point. Furthermore, most people who develop MS after EBV do not develop symptoms for over 10 years.
To tackle this problem, the researchers looked at more than 10 million young adults on active duty in the U.S. military and identified 955 who had been diagnosed with MS during their period of service. They took biennial samples from these members and analyzed them to determine the soldiers’ EBV status at the time of the first sample. They then examined the relationship between EBV infection and MS onset during the period of active duty. In this cohort, the risk of MS increased by 32 times after infection with EBV. In contrast, the risk was unchanged after infection with other viruses.
Knowing the relationship between EBV and MS brings us one step closer to finding the cause, and possibly even the cure, for MS. However, since EBV does affect the majority of the population, more research is needed into discovering why certain individuals with EBV develop MS, while others do not. Still, this study marks a significant step forward in our understanding of MS.
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