In this latest offering from the Great and the Good we get their offering of the current neuroimmunological prespective
Act 1.
They tell us that “EBV has been associated with various autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjogren’s Syndrome”. I buy this and so am weary about any EBV is MS ideas because the route to the other conditions need to be explained. Also if true the prize for cracking the EBV nut is much greater because it means more people benefit than just MS.
Act I. Molecular Mimicry between EBNA1 (a viral protein) and Three “Self”-Proteins Involved in MS Pathophysiology….For half my life the proponents of this paper were telling us that it was all myelin basic protein and now we have three candidates, some of which I simply do not buy. However keep an open mind
They have filed some patents lets hope they can be used to f
Lum FM, Sattarnezhad N, Ho PP, Orr N, Robinson WH, Lanz TV, Steinman L. Multiple molecular mimics in Epstein Barr Nuclear Antigen-1, and the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026 Mar 17;123(11):e2519445123.
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects greater than 95% of humans and is associated with initiating and perpetuating multiple sclerosis (MS). Antibody to Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen-1 (EBNA1) is present in nearly 100% of patients with MS before the development of clinical symptoms. Infection with EBV is necessary, but not sufficient, for causation of disease. Within the EBNA1 transcription factor is a stretch of 47 amino acids containing three regions with shared linear sequences of portions of three molecules, Glialcell adhesion molecule (CAM), alpha Crystallin-B, and Anoctamin-2. These cross-reactive linear sequences between EBNA1 and each of these three molecules are termed “molecular mimics.” Cross-reactive adaptive immunity to these three molecules mimicking regions of EBNA1 each play distinct roles in the pathogenesis of MS. Antibodies to each of these molecules greatly increase the chance of developing MS. Analysis of the cellular landscape of MS lesions reveals EBNA1 in B cells, glial cells, and neurons. Here, we provide commentary on recent publications on the molecular and cellular landscape of EBV infection in studies on the blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and brain specimens of individuals with MS. The published studies reveal perspectives on the pathology of MS in detail ranging from the atomic level using crystallography to multiplexed anatomical imaging of lesions in the brain.
Source: multiple-sclerosis-research.org