Effective multiple sclerosis diagnosis based on EBV proteome screening

Professor Denise Doolan and her team propose to study the altered antibody response to Epstein Barr virus (EBV) as a potential diagnostic test for MS (multiple sclerosis), a disease for which the underlying cause remains unknown.

While EBV has been strongly associated with MS, establishing causality has been difficult. Professor Denise Doolan and her team plan to measure the antibody response to all known proteins present in EBV and compare the responses in individuals with MS to those in healthy people and people with other autoimmune diseases. They will use a computational analytical pipeline to identify a risk stratification signature of EBV antibodies specifically associated with MS.