Understanding how immune cells respond to Epstein-Barr virus in people with MS
Scientists have confirmed that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which causes glandular fever, can increase the risk of MS. But the majority of us (around 9 in 10) get EBV at some point - and few go on to develop MS. Researchers want to find out why.
When you get a virus like EBV, your immune system jumps into action to fight it off. One key player in this process is a type of white blood cell called a T cell. T cells help find and destroy infected cells. But in MS they can mistakenly attack myelin, the protective coating around our nerves.
Margarita’s team think that T cells in people with MS may respond differently to EBV than those in people without MS - and that this may play a key role in triggering MS.
About the project
Margarita and her team will use blood samples to compare the T cell response to EBV in people with and without MS. They’ll use small fragments from the EBV virus to see whether there are any that only people with MS respond to.
We know that genes also play a key role in the development of MS. So they’ll also check whether their participants have a gene that’s strongly linked to a higher risk of developing MS. And they’ll investigate whether having this gene changes how their T cells respond to EBV.
How will it help people with MS?
This is an important step toward understanding how EBV could trigger MS. If the team find fragments of EBV that only people with MS react to, this knowledge could help the development of a vaccine. And it could help inform future strategies to prevent MS.
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