Is Epstein-Barr Virus the Cause of Multiple Sclerosis?
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2024
- A new study from Harvard University has provided more evidence supporting a link between Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection and multiple sclerosis. MStranslate co-founder and chief science communicator, Brett Drummond, explores the outcomes of this published work in detail and explains why we must remain cautious when interpreting the significances of these findings.
Our previously published video on EBV, referenced in the video, can be viewed here - • Epstein-Barr Virus & M... .
As always, if you have any questions for Brett, please either comment below or email them to him directly at brett@mstranslate.com.au.
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Soon will have an EBV vaccine, I think that in those people who are going to receive it we will see that no one will develop MS. That would be great. I hope this will be also a start point for totally curing ms, we are going to make it! 😊😊
Thank you
Hi Edoardo, thanks for the comment. I think that would obviously be a fantastic outcome. I think I will do a follow-up video to this one where I talk in more detail about the potential therapeutic outcomes - both a preventative vaccine and immunotherapy approaches - though it is important to remember that both of these are in the very early stages and so will take some time. Although, we have seen over the past 2 years how quickly research can be progressed if it is adequately funded and resourced. Thanks again for your engagement on the video, it is much appreciated - Brett
Yesss!!!!
I was diagnosed with EBV in college and never recovered...about 10 years later I was diagnosed with MS...I wonder if one of the contributing factors to developing MS after EBV is a compromised blood brain barrier?
Thanks for the comment Planet Wrath. I certainly think that a compromised blood brain barrier could be part of the mechanism. As an infection with EBV alone isn't sufficient to cause MS, it would be interesting to find out what other factors are important...perhaps the compromised BBB at the right time and in association with some other environmental or genetic factor is what triggers the disease to begin? We will continue to provide updates on this research as soon as it becomes available. Thanks again - Brett
I had Mononucleosis when I was 13. I started having MS symptoms when I was 37.
I had mono when I was 7...never forget that tiredness...in fall of 2019 I had an episode of extreme tiredness that reminded me of the mono tiredness...I'm now 65,experiencing a few "zingers", as my friend with MS calls her lightning bolts...I've not seen a doctor,but am concerned about MS in my future...
@@carlathomas6257 I'm almost 59 now and fatigue is a big problem. Eating healthy and staying active helps a lot, as well as taking vitamins. I don't take any MS drugs. You should speak to your doctor if you've already tried natural means, but the tiredness still persists. I wish you all the best.
Hi! do you know how this virus (if present) can interact with the Gilenya medicine treatment for MS? my treatment will be changed fromTysabri to Gylenia and I am a bit spooked to be honest :( any info would be very helpful.
Hi Flavia, thank you for the question. As far as I'm aware, there isn't anything in the research to suggest that the presence of an EBV infection has any interaction with Gilenya. It is important to remember that this isn't necessarily something new when it comes to MS, it is just that these current findings have enhanced our understanding of the role it may play. The likelihood is that almost all (if not all considering the outcomes of this study) of the people that are currently taking Gilenya would have been previously infected with EBV. This means that if there was an issue, we would have seen a number of case reports around this issue. I will do a further look, but as always, if you have any concerns, it is important to discuss them with your neurologist or healthcare professional. Thanks again - Brett
Thank you for these informations.
Thank you for the video
Hi Brett! Thank you for this informative video. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis while working as a healthcare worker during the height of the first COVID wave in 2020. I have read online that there's some talk of COVID reactivating EBV in the body (studies to determine if "long COVID" is actually something more akin to glandular fever). Have you read any similar material? What are your thoughts? I have always wondered if a COVID infection triggered my initial lapse.
Hi Laura, thanks for the kind words about the video. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis during what would have already been an incredibly difficult and stressful time for you. Can I also take this opportunity to thank you for your work on the frontline during the pandemic? Your other comments are interesting - I had read some doctors describing long COVID as reminding them of MS, but not comparing to EBV. I’ll look into it and I’ll be doing a number of other videos in this series, so stay tuned! Thanks again - Brett
@@MStranslate1 I had long Covid, November 2020. I got the Pfeizer vaccine in March 2021. The first shot gave me a sore arm. The second shot made me extremely sick, worse than the first sickness. I’m still recovering a year later and I can’t get anyone interested. My most recent MRI showed no new lesions but, physically, I’ve been going downhill pretty quickly. The doctors that have been treating me have very little current knowledge about MS and I’ve just been approved to go to an MS Specialty clinic at a local university. I’m 11 years into this since diagnosis and I’m only now getting to see an expert.
Hate to tell you but there are no ms experts.
Your best chance to fight ms is hsct..that is how they treat chronic active EBV infection.
@@barbaradascalos4411what’s hsct?
thanks for explaining it so well x
Thank you for such an informative video
I’m a Veteran was diagnosed with MS last year. I recently relapsed and it was challenging 😢
I’m very new to studying (by studying I mean doing my own research lol) virology. And this is one of the craziest thing I’ve ever heard in my life
Good luck with the study G P! My original background before doing MS research was microbiology and immunology, so I understand what it can be like. What in particular did you find interesting about this study? Thanks again - Brett
EBV might be a contributing factor but not the cause.
Nice video Brett! Many of the risk factors weaken the immune systen; stress, lack of sunlight, shift work, smoking etc. If you now put a chronic viral infection in the mix it is easy to draw conclusions.
I like the idea of fighting a virus more than a invisible enemy, so I am on board with this theory 😀 if this is true I hope to life the day they can explain to me why infected cells are wrecking my SC in specific places.
Really hope pharma will also explore this angle more like Atara and Moderna sort of does with the EBV vaccine. trial. Probably need a lot of proof that EBV is driving the disease for pharma to fully be on board.
My stress was because of shift work.
@@capturingserenity I did stressfull shift work, was smoking and had stressful events. I was always in hurry and never relaxed. Nowadays I take the time to eat and well be mindful in everything that I do. When you think about it 99% of the things in your life are not worth stressing about. Hope you are doing ok. Greetings from Holland
Hi Paul, thanks for the comments and kind words. I agree that there are still questions that need to be answered, but it adds some more valuable evidence to our understanding. I'm also highly interested in the trials and work being done around immunotherapy and vaccines against EBV and their potential to be novel treatment options - either as a preventative or therapeutic approach. Thanks again - Brett
Vaccine is likely
If I'm not mistaken Moderna has started human trials for a vaccine
Since EBV is such a common infection I assume is is one that many interact with in different stages of their life, however many people with MS do not start showing symptoms till they are older. Is it yet know why their is a delay? I myself was diagnosed when I was only 20 so I feel that I must have been exposed to EBV early in order for it to help other risk factors progress my MS so early.
Thanks for the comment Kayla. It's not known yet why there is a delay. We do know that an EBV infection alone isn't enough to cause MS, so it must interact in some way with other genetic and environmental factors. I think understanding exactly how EBV is involved in the development of MS will be an important next step in this research. We will make sure that we continue to provide updates as soon as they are available. Thanks - Brett
My Glandular Fever turned into Multiple Sclerosis! I went straight from Glandular Fever symptoms to vertigo and lack of coordination and strength in my legs. This was when i was 11! I didn't get diagnosed until my late 20's when i had diplopia which is a bit more of an obvious M.S. symptom! I had the MMR vaccine and then i got Glandular Fever and then Multiples Sclerosis. In the space of a couple months! I always wondered if the MMR vaccine had overloaded my immune system but it's pointing towards the Glandular Fever now it seems.
Fascinating! Certainly explains everything. Now that I comprehend; I can cope.
I've never had glandular fever but my sister had it when I was about 4.
Could that be when I was exposed to the virus? Would that exposure be enough?
It may be one of causes but there are many other factors . In my case it was severe stress for almost 2,3 years then suddenly MS symptoms appeared .
Thanks for the comment Tauqir and sorry to hear you experienced such bad stress before your MS diagnosis. As I tried to capture in the video, I think the outcome of this research is that it seems likely that an EBV infection is necessary to develop MS, however, that infection alone is not sufficient. It has to occur with a combination of other genetic and environmental factors happening with the right timing for multiple sclerosis to develop - Brett
Same here .. after a very stressful relationship..
In reality, Epstein barr is the cause of Multiple Sclerosis, but the immune system must not function properly for this to happen. Chronic stress is a factor that lowers the immune system benefiting the virus. I advise you to turn to Medical Medium for more information.
Stress does weaken and wreak our immune system which can lead to being susceptible to viruses causing autoimmune disease.
Re: the etiology of MS & the EBV, how does that thinking relate to the fact that females get MS at a much higher rate than males?
I agree that EBV can be a cause; however, if EBV is so common with about 90% of people who either have had or is an EBV virus carrier, why aren’t many more people developing MS? The percentage of people with MS is far lower than the 90% for EBV. Because of this, I don’t think researchers can conclude that EBV is a main cause of MS. Just looking at the ratio of people with EBV versus people with MS is too high to be a determining factor.
Hi Nancy - thanks for your comment and question. I agree with you and this is the message that I was trying to convey in this video. It seems that with the recently published evidence, we can make the following suggestions around the role of EBV in multiple sclerosis - an infection with EBV is necessary for MS to develop, but it is not sufficient. There are some interesting aspects to this study around the timing of the infection with the damage to the nerves, but I think we still need more information about this. We now need to understand how EBV is interacting with other genetic and environmental factors to cause MS, because as you rightly say, EBV on it's own is not the cause. If you haven't seen it yet, I encourage you to watch my follow-up video this one, where I discuss the potential therapeutic outcomes in MS based on this research. Thanks - Brett
I notice other people said about high stress before MS. It can't be a coincidence! I was severely stressed with work for ages and had a few deaths at that time in my life, then my body went wrong. The stress made me feel genuinely ill, almost like the body was secreting a harmful substance from all the stress.
Hi Richard, thank you for sharing, but I'm sorry to hear that you had such a tough time in your life in the lead-up to your MS diagnosis. There is a lot of literature around the impact of stress on MS. I will look to do a video on this in the future. Similarly to this study, there has been another recent publication that has looked at the link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and multiple sclerosis in a group of US military veterans, which showed that it could impact on both susceptibility and disease progression. I will also look to summarise that research in a video shortly. Thanks again for your interaction on our video - Brett
Hi Richard. Stress can cause mast cells to degranulate releasing over 2000 inflammatory mediators in your body.
Thank you! I've had chronic EBV for years. I'm constantly sick & MS & other auto immune runs in my family. What type of doctor would I need to see to check markers or if I have potential to develop MS? Thank you!!!!
A family doctor can give you a referral to a neurologist if you explain that MS runs in your family and would like to be checked. An MRI or a spinal tap can reveal if one has MS.
Actually there was military blood tests that showed NfL levels rise 6 years before first ms relapse and ms disease onset..but NfL is not used now in standard care only in research for now..so there is no way to tell if you have ms untill the first ms relapse/diagnosis.
Actually hsct is only therapy for chronic EBV..probably if you get the ebv under control w/hsct you won't get any AI disease.
My siblings have hypothyroid and aplastic anemia and I have ms all from uncontrolled EBV. Look into getting hsct to treat your EBV. Sister had a BMT for aplastic anemia and I had hsct for ms so if you get hsct for chronic EBV you will be way more ahead of the game in trying to stay healthy.
MS is not Hereditary though. Perhaps your family could be in such high levels of stress. That can do it, plus all sorts of viruses. I for a fact know I’ve been in such extreme levels of stress for many years.
Can you cite the studies please
Hi Sid - the new US study is this one (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abj8222 ) and the previous German study is this one (jnnp.bmj.com/content/91/7/681 ). You can also watch the video summary that I did for that second study via the link in the description. Hope this helps. Thanks for commenting - Brett
@@MStranslate1 superb, thank you
I had mono as a kid....this concerns me.hmmm....
What about being of Scottish descent. I’ve heard it’s called the Scottish disease in Scotland and is most common there than any other country. Great video
Firstly, thanks for the kind words about the video B R. Secondly, the relationship to Scotland is interesting and is probably due to other environmental factors, not the EBV infection. It is known that the risk of developing MS increases the further you move away from the equator, which explains the high rates in Scotland. Interestingly, this risk seems to be locked within about the first 10 years of your life - so if you are born and grow up in Scotland, but then move to Brazil, you are still going to have that higher risk. Many people think that this may be related to sun exposure and Vitamin D levels, though this has never been conclusively proven. Hope this helps! Thanks again - Brett
However, if you get the glandular fever or at least you infect yourself with EBV not as a kid your risk of developing MS increases 32 fold.
In Germany roughly the MS incidenz is at 18/100 000 which means that the risk of getting MS is 32 times 18/100 000 = 0,576% if you have infected yourself later on.
Hi Felix, thanks for the comment. You raise an interesting point about the timing of the infection and whether or not this is important. You may also be interested in another one of our videos, which I filmed with a researcher from Sweden, who studies infections during adolescence and how that impacts on the risk of developing MS. You can watch that interview here: ua-cam.com/video/0ziR5Z4Xyi0/v-deo.html . Thanks again - Brett
It would be interesting to know the Vitamin D level of all the military people tested with EBV
What is mechanism of this virus staying within a body? Why does immune system not eradicate it?
Hi Sylwester, thanks for the question. Essentially, after most of the virus is cleared, it goes into 'hibernation' or what we call the latent phase. This means that it is remaining in the cells, but not really replicating and only having a few of its genes expressed. In this way, it is able to survive and it can become reactivated later in life. There are some initial, very early stage trials, that are investigating whether or not complete clearance of the virus (through specialised immunotherapy) may be a potential treatment option for people living with multiple sclerosis. The preliminary results have been encouraging, but as I say, that is still very early at the moment. Thanks for your great question - Brett
Medical Medium explains how this virus works. It has been a long time that he says that Multiple sclerosis is due to Epetein Barr.
I wonder if Valtrex would help because ebv is a strain of herpes. Imagine if no meds were given for herpes and shinglex outbreaks.
Do you have any information on the Swine Flu vaccine of 1976, which caused many Epstein-Barr like reactions, and future Multiple Sclerosis diagnoses?
im from lithuania and i just talked with my doctor about whis,she was testing her patients for exactly this virus,she started 10 years ago becouse she was writing paper,and she said it is not even close to 100 percent,maybe it is dependent on the area
Thanks for the comment koviniskarpis. There is certainly a possibility that this isn't the case in all parts of the world. However, I would also say that our ability to detect this infection has improved over time. When I started in MS research in 2006, it was estimated that it was around 95-96% of people living with MS had been infected with EBV (compared to around 85-90% of the general population). As people have started using multiple techniques and the technology has gotten more sophisticated though, this number has risen. This is now two large studies that have found it to be essentially 100%. As you heard in the video, there was a case in this latest study that was a bit confusing, though there are potential reasons for that. It will be interesting to see how this develops and if other follow-up studies generate the same results. Thanks again for your comment - Brett
What about research of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and EDS being linked with MS?
The mast cells are the first line of defence and when they overreact due to stress and co infections such as SARS or EBV they degranulate causing systemic inflammation due to the release of over 2000 inflammatory mediators. Even leading to certain cancers.
I wonder how the Swine Flu vaccine of 1976 affected my multiple sclerosis. Everyone at our command that got the vaccine, which was mandatory, got varying levels of sick, but we all got sick. Many of the symptoms included Epstein-Barr type symptoms. Some of my earliest symptoms of MS started within about 3-4 years later and were completely unrecognized at the time. I’ve had various symptoms for over 40 years but only got diagnosed in 2011.
I have MS, it has always seemed as though a virus may be a contributing factor. I get cold sores on my lip, so I assumed a virus was probably a contribution. It is a disease that makes the quality of life decrease by 75%. What is the #1 thing that helps people feel better?
Viruses don't cause cold sores, nor do they cause MS. We'd have to show with Valid scientific evidence that something (a "virus") actually exist. To date that has never occurred. All the pictures of these things are nothing but cellular debris particles and laboratory artifacts created by the experiments themselves. Every last genetic sequence that's been published is nothing but an silico computer model (i.e. stitched together theoretical genomes, based on a theoretical virus template) . It's a little known, but indisputable fact that a "virus" has NEVER ONCE been seen or captured directly from a person's clinical sample. Never. These alleged things have only been "seen" in cell culture experiments that virologists and some other scientists do. Now why is that? Again, because they're just a product of the experiments and they don't actually ex!st (going by the evidence put forth).
Hi Brett
Thanks for your timely and informative video. I was a tad disappointed when I found out that it was the EB virus which was being touted as “the cause of MS”.
As a person with MS, I live in fear of my two teenage children contracting the disease, even though I know that it’s not a genetic disease. They have both been exposed to the EB virus, leading to further anxiety for their parents! My question regards research into a vaccine against EBV-are you aware of any such research into a vaccine?
Thanks again for your video
Hi Janine, thanks for the kind words and the questions. I think the difficulty with the communication around this research is that we have to remember that around 90% of the general population have been infected with EBV. So while this and other research seems to indicate it is necessary to be infected with EBV to develop MS, it is certainly not the only aspect (as the vast majority of people that are infected with EBV never develop multiple sclerosis). While I know that it is hard not to, I don't think this finding should necessarily increase anxiety - I point that I tried to make in the video and why I have issues with some media outlets calling this the cause of MS. As far as I'm aware, there is research into both an EBV vaccine and other immunotherapy approaches targeting EBV as a treatment for people currently living with MS. I think I will do a follow-up video that discusses the progress in both of these areas over the coming week. Stay tuned! Thanks again - Brett
Possible the same cause of other similar diseases such as Lupus.
Hi James, thanks for the comment. Yes, the link between EBV and other conditions has also been around for a while. As the research progresses in relation to the role in multiple sclerosis, it will be interesting to see whether further developments also occur in relation to other diseases. Thanks for your interaction on the video, it is much appreciated! Regards, Brett
Medical Medium explains how this virus works. It has been a long time that he says that Multiple sclerosis, Lupus and other chronic illnesses like fibromyalgia are due to Epetein Barr.
Shingles is another common denominator
Thankyou for your video. What todo with ebv sickness... Is there any vaccine this year 2022
If you already have EBV, Lyme disease can be a cause! Because Lyme is associated with EBV infection quite frequently.
Hi Jozsef, thanks for the comment. The link between Lyme disease and MS is interesting, but often been controversial. I don't think I've seen any definitive evidence to suggest it may be involved, but perhaps the more that we learn about the role of EBV, the more it may also shed light on the role of other infections. Thanks again - Brett
Yes absolutely Medical Medium explains how this virus works. It has been a long time that he says that Multiple sclerosis, Lyme Disease and other chronic illnesses are due to Epstein Barr.
I think the cause of MS is multifactorial, but this is certainly one of the pieces of the puzzle.
Hi Karen, thanks for the comment. I agree - this research suggests that an infection with EBV is necessary, but not sufficient, for multiple sclerosis to develop. The combination of genetic and other environmental factors is obviously important, as well as probably the timing of all of these events. I think understanding how all of these interact will be the next step in piecing together this puzzle. Thanks again for your comment - Brett
@@MStranslate1 Thanks for including those nuances in the video. I appreciate you.
what about mono does it have a connection?
No, it is not
Thanks for the comment Jo Do - and as you will have seen in my video - I tend to agree. I certainly think we need to be careful at using the phrase 'EBV is the cause of MS', but rather keep our messaging around the fact that infection seems to be necessary and so is playing a role, but MS only develops when there are also a combination of other factors that all occur at the appropriate time. With EBV occurring in almost 90% of the general population, it alone is clearly not the cause of MS and so we need to communicate this research appropriately. Thanks again - Brett
I've never had EBV but I have MS... so no connection for me... I've had 3 chest infections related to cold/flu/verging on pneumonia... but nothing else. I have a friend who had EBV but no MS...
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