Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Determining Immune System Suppression versus CNS Protection for Pharmacological Interventions in Autoimmune Demyelination
Published on: September 12, 2016
MINI-review of Epstein-Barr virus involvement in multiple sclerosis etiology and pathogenesis
Francesca Aloisi1, Anne H Cross2
1Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Abstract:
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the infectious agent that shows the strongest association with multiple sclerosis (MS). EBV is a ubiquitous double stranded DNA herpes virus that establishes a latent infection in B cells and is actively contained by the immune system throughout the life of its human host. Failure to control EBV infection can lead to the development of cancers and immunopathological diseases characterized by hyperreactive anti-EBV immune responses. Although MS is the result of still poorly understood interactions between genetic and environmental factors, compelling evidence indicates that EBV infection is essential for MS initiation. B cells are clearly key in the development of MS activity, given the extraordinary effectiveness of B cell depleting anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies in relapsing MS patients. This commentary reviews the evidence supporting the link of EBV with MS and the mechanisms by which EBV might trigger MS and cause continued disease activity. Also discussed are trials of agents to reduce or eliminate EBV in humans, which are expected to provide additional insights into the role of EBV in ongoing MS pathology.
Related Concept Videos
Arboviral Encephalitis
Bacterial Meningitis II: Pathophysiology
Encephalitis l: Introduction
Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology
Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction
Myasthenia Gravis ll: Pathophysiology

