Original story from Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden). The immune system’s reaction to the common Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can ultimately damage the brain and contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS). This is shown by new research from Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden), published in Cell. The study provides new insight into the long-suspected link between EBV and MS. MS is a chronic inflammatory disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system and causes nerve damage. It has long been known that everyone who develops MS has had an infection with the EBV – a common virus that often infects young people, sometimes causing glandular fever but often without any obvious symptoms. Exactly how this virus contributes to MS has long been unclear. The new study shows that when the immune system fights EBV, certain T cells – which normally attack the virus – can also react to a protein in the brain called Anoctamin-2 (ANO2). This phenomenon is called molecular mimicry – immune cells mistaking the body’s own proteins for those of the virus. The researchers found that these cross-reactive T cells are significantly more common in people with MS than in healthy controls. The study builds on previous research showing that misdirected antibodies after EBV infection may play a role. Uncovering the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in multiple sclerosis How mitochondrial dysfunction impacts nerve damage, Purkinje cell loss and motor impairments in multiple sclerosis has been identified, providing promise for targeted treatments. “Our results provide mechanistic evidence that immune…
