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An autoimmune disease with no real cure to date, multiple sclerosis could soon benefit from new medical advances on the Epstein-Barr virus, to be controlled or even avoided. We talk about it with Professor Jean Pelletier, neurologist in Marseille and president of the medico-scientific committee of the Arsep foundation.
120,000 people in France are affected by multiple sclerosis. This autoimmune disease which affects the central nervous system leads to lesions which cause motor, sensory, cognitive, visual or even sphincter disturbances. But faced with these evolutionary thrusts, no curative treatment is possible today. The only treatments, which are essential but which do not cure the carrier, aim to relieve the symptoms, reduce the number, duration and intensity of flare-ups and the acute inflammation linked to the disease, or even avoid complications linked to immobility. , thanks to functional rehabilitation.
But for about two years, the known link between MS and the Epstein-Barr virus has made it possible to consider new treatments… Why not going so far as to reduce the progression of the disease, or even avoid it altogether? . A distant dream? By for Professor Jean Pelletier, Chairman of the Foundation’s Medical Scientific Committee Arsep (Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis Research)
The Epstein-Barr virus, the starting point for new lines of treatment
Thus, for two years, the main research on MS has revolved around the Epstein Barr Virus, the infectious mononucleosis virus, contracted by 90% of French people. “It is demonstrated today that this virus is essential to trigger multiple sclerosis. This does not mean that it is the cause (120,000 people affected by MS while almost the entire French population has been confronted with this virus), but more precisely that MS cannot be triggered. when you haven’t contracted this virus” says our expert.
Thus, the fact of being an essential element in the onset of the autoimmune disease leads at this very moment to two axes of treatment:
“The first is that this essential element being a virus, we can consider preventing it via a Epstein-Barr vaccine as with covid or the flu, to reduce its frequency or make it disappear”.
The second is more complex, but just as interesting: once contracted (in childhood for example) the Epstein Barr virus hides in the body, and more precisely in B lymphocyte cells, which are responsible for making antibodies. and are important elements in the inflammation that characterizes this MS disease.
“Our second question is therefore: does this Epstein Barr virus, once in the body, have anything to do with the evolution of the disease? Could this dormant virus in the B lymphocyte cells, once the disease has started, explain the flare-ups of this disease? In this case trail of antivirals targeting the Epstein Barr viruscould help to reduce or even stop the progression of the disease.”
Tracks applicable to what deadline?
For the moment, these vaccines and antivirals are not yet in the hands of doctors. But some studies have already begun to develop these two lines of research. Professor Pelletier wants to be positive about short-term progress:
“When we see the speed with which the vaccine against covid has been put in place, we can hope for a rapid implementation” assures the expert. Concretely, Epstein Barr is also a virus which should be able to benefit from an mRNA type vaccine, developments are already underway and certain laboratories have entered the race. For antivirals, even if it is complicated to arrive at very specific treatments, here again research is in progress.
“And when we know that this Eptsein Barr virus is probably linked to other autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. When we see that we can go beyond the framework of MS to go to other pathologies and reach even more people, we understand that this research makes sense.