New Hope for a Multiple Sclerosis Vaccine

Three million people globally suffer from MS, a neurodegenerative disease that has no cure. A Harvard University study found strong evidence that the Epsteinbarr virus (EBV), which can cause infectious mononucleosis, is a trigger for multiple sclerosis. In fact, the researchers found that those infected with EBV were 32 times more likely to develop MS as uninfected people. Blood tests also showed that the nerve degeneration that accompanies

MS starts only after EBV infection, bolstering the case for the virus as a cause. The drug company Moderna is developing an EBV vaccine aimed at preventing mononucleosis; the vaccine is currently in clinical trials.