New research suggests that antivirals targeting the Epstein-Barr virus could offer an effective therapy for multiple sclerosis with fewer side effects than current immune-suppressing drugs.
A study of immune responses in people with and without multiple sclerosis found that CD4 T-cells in those with the condition mainly target proteins produced when the Epstein-Barr virus is actively replicating. People with MS produced twice as many of these cells on average.
The findings indicate that existing B-cell-depleting treatments work in part by cutting viral replication. Researchers say drugs that target the virus directly might achieve similar results without weakening the immune system.
Michael Levy of Harvard Medical School said there are no good Epstein-Barr virus drugs available yet, but they can be developed. He added that such treatments might become the most useful specific therapy for MS.
Kjetil Bjornevik of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health noted that most researchers now agree the virus plays a major role in the disease. The work was published in Science Translational Medicine.
