Immune cells linked to Epstein-Barr virus may play a role in multiple sclerosis

Researchers at UC San Francisco have uncovered a new clue to how Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) could contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disease that affects nearly one million Americans. The work found that certain types of CD8+ "killer" T cells—immune cells that destroy damaged or infected cells—are more abundant in people with MS. Some of these killer T cells target EBV, which suggests that the virus may trigger the damaging immune response seen in MS.