Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Multiple sclerosis and viruses: an overview.

S D Cook, P C Dowling

    Neurology
    |July 1, 1980
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Investigating a viral cause for multiple sclerosis (MS) reveals limited evidence. While canine distemper virus is a contender, no single agent is definitively linked to MS causation currently.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Successful conservative management of urinary tract rupture in dogs and cats: 52 cases (2003-2024).

    The Journal of small animal practice·2025
    Same author

    Multimodality diagnostic imaging findings in a dog with a traumatic pulmonary pseudocyst.

    The Journal of small animal practice·2020
    Same author

    Joint Laxity and Proprioception in the Knee.

    The Physician and sportsmedicine·2016
    Same author

    The effect of abductor forces on femoral stem stresses in cemented prosthetic hip replacement.

    Orthopedics·2014
    Same author

    Early, design-related failure in total knee arthroplasty a case report.

    Orthopedics·2014
    Same author

    Pyrolite carbon implants in the metacarpophalangeal joint of baboons.

    Orthopedics·2014
    Same journal

    Teaching Video NeuroImage: Tardive Blepharoclonus.

    Neurology·2026
    Same journal

    Teaching NeuroImage: Latent Axonal Degeneration in Patient With Anterior Circulation Stroke.

    Neurology·2026
    Same journal

    Incidental DWI-Positive Lesions in 2 Cohorts of CAA and CADASIL: Prevalence, Distribution, and Associations With Clinical Variables.

    Neurology·2026
    Same journal

    Alpha-Synuclein Seed Amplification Assay in CSF, Skin, and Submandibular Gland From Incidental Lewy Body Disease and Parkinson Disease.

    Neurology·2026
    Same journal

    Digital Semiology.

    Neurology·2026
    Same journal

    Early Cerebral Edema Subtypes and Functional Outcome in Patients With Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: Insights From the CLOT-VENUS Registry.

    Neurology·2026
    See all related articles

    Area of Science:

    • Neurology
    • Virology
    • Immunology

    Background:

    • Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system.
    • The etiology of MS remains largely unknown, with a viral cause being a long-standing hypothesis.
    • Epidemiological, pathological, and immunological data have been examined to identify potential causative agents.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To review the existing evidence for a viral etiology of multiple sclerosis.
    • To evaluate the strength of evidence supporting various viral hypotheses.
    • To consider alternative or multiple-agent etiologies for MS.

    Main Methods:

    • Review of epidemiological studies concerning MS.
    • Analysis of pathological findings in MS tissues.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of serological data and lymphocyte reactivity to viral antigens.
  • Consideration of animal models of viral demyelination.

    • Main Results:

    • Epidemiological data provide the strongest, though still inconclusive, evidence for a viral cause of MS.
    • Pathological studies, serology, and direct virus identification in MS tissues offer less convincing support.
    • Canine distemper virus is a leading candidate if a single morbilliform virus is responsible, aligning with some epidemiological and serological findings and demonstrating neurovirulence in animal models.
    • No single infectious agent currently meets the criteria to be definitively linked to MS causation.

    Conclusions:

    • Despite extensive research, a definitive viral agent causing MS has not been identified.
    • Alternative hypotheses, including common but currently unassociated viruses, unidentified agents, or multiple agents acting via immune pathways, must be considered.
    • The pathogenesis of MS may involve immune-mediated mechanisms, similar to other demyelinating diseases like Guillain-Barré syndrome.