This project investigated whether Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may be the cause of MS through studying the effect of autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT), a highly effective MS therapy, on an individual’s immune response to EBV.Â
The project investigated whether EBV reactivates after AHSCT, as has been suggested by one prior study. The project determined whether people with MS who have undergone AHSCT who develop a new immune system capable of rapidly controlling EBV are more likely to have a sustained response to treatment.Â
This research has direct implications on Â
This knowledge will help clinicians alter the way in which AHSCT is performed (e.g., with anti-viral or cellular therapies) to better control EBV if it is shown to be relevant to disease remission.Â
Dr Jennifer Massey and her team found that it was rare for EBV to infect the blood after more than three months following AHSCT. However, the T cells that fight EBV persist and remain detectable after AHSCT. These cells will multiply and become more varied in response to EBV in the body’s cells. These results suggest that while MS may be triggered by EBV, it is unlikely that EBV is the key driver of ongoing inflammation in MS.Â
Dr Massey and her team found that AHSCT is linked with a therapeutic response that runs for years following the development of the new immune system. This occurs despite most people treated having increased EBV in their bodies in the two years following AHSCT.Â
It may be paradoxical that AHSCT leads to improved outcomes even though EBV infections are reactivated. The study made an interesting finding that AHSCT may lead to the re-development of tolerant T cells that respond in a more diverse way to EBV. Knowing this may impact future treatments.Â
Updated 31 March 2024Â
$25,000
2023
1 year
Past project