An experimental vaccine against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) achieves “promising” results in mice, according to a preliminary study published in the journal Nature Communications. This scientific advance, although still in development, generates great interest in the causal relationship between EBV and multiple sclerosis.
“There is a global need for new advances,” says the article signed by researchers from the Berghofer Medical Research Institute of Australia, since no vaccine has been approved for protection against this virus, which infects at least 95% of the population. worldwide, according to ‘EFE’.
Previously, other vaccines had not given good results when tested in humans and animal models. Now, this vaccine directed at the lymph nodes opens a ray of hope because “it has shown promise in mice.”
Hopeful milestone: specific antibodies
The researchers in charge of developing the vaccine discovered that when administered to these animals, “potent” EBV-specific antibodies and T cells were produced, which were maintained for at least seven months after vaccination.
In addition, the scientists recall that the way this vaccine has been designed “is to really prevent multiple sclerosis” and is capable of “inducing immunity” to control tumors associated with the virus.
The research team will continue working on the design of this vaccine to ensure that the effective results in mice are also produced in humans.
The virus -from the herpes family- is transmitted through saliva and can cause mononucleosis, better known as the ‘kissing disease’ and could be a risk factor for other diseases such as cancer -throat and nose- or multiple sclerosis, more and more studies suggest that the infection may be a predecessor of this disease. The immune system does not eliminate the Esptein-Barr virus from the organism, so it could be reactivated and transmitted again.
The possibility that infection with the ‘kissing disease’ virus has a role in the development of multiple sclerosis was one of the great advances of 2022 cited by ‘Science’.
2023-08-10 10:30:11
#experimental #vaccine #virus #kissing #disease #promises #hopeful #results
