Professor Denise Doolan and her team propose to study the altered antibody response to Epstein Barr virus (EBV) as a potential diagnostic test for multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease for which the underlying cause remains unknown.
EBV is a common virus that has been strongly linked to the development of MS, but the underlying mechanism and critical viral proteins associated with disease onset have not been determined.
Professor 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 then use computer analysis techniques to identify a “signature” of antibodies against EBV that are specifically associated with MS.
Professor Doolan and her team will also test the pathogenic effect of the antibodies to determine if EBV proteins may be involved in causing MS. Identifying EBV proteins that are selectively targeted in MS could help us understand the cause of MS and help develop new effective treatments, and an antibody signature specific for MS could be translated into a clinic-friendly point-of-care test.
To detect antibody responses to EBV in body fluids, Professor Doolan and her team used a specialised laboratory tool called a protein microarray, which contains all known EBV proteins.
Professor Doolan and her team used the EBV protein microarrays to screen blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples from the following groups:
The team’s early analyses identified greatly increased levels of antibodies to key EBV proteins in blood samples from people with MS when compared to people with no known disease. They also identified a specific subset of these antibodies in blood samples that can tell the difference between people with MS and people with other autoimmune diseases associated with EBV.
Using computer analyses, the team identified a highly specific pattern of antibodies in the blood of people with early untreated MS. This pattern of antibodies could accurately tell the difference between people with MS and people with no known disease. This is an important finding, since EBV is a virus that affects more than 90% of the world’s adult population.
The team observed that in MS, blood levels of antibodies to EBV strongly reflect those in cerebrospinal fluid. In contrast, this link is weak or not seen in other neurological diseases. This indicates that MS has a distinct EBV-related immune response compared to other neurological diseases.
The team is currently confirming their study results in people with MS from another independent study cohort. Professor Doolan and her team have also been awarded a seed grant from Queensland Health.
Identifying specific EBV antibody patterns linked with MS may help with developing more accurate diagnostic tools and biomarkers. This may help with earlier diagnosis and make it easier to distinguish MS from other neurological conditions. Improved diagnostic tools and biomarkers could enhance monitoring of disease activity and support the development of more targeted treatments. Together, these advances may enable people with MS to receive appropriate care sooner and support more personalised disease management.
Last updated 31 March 2026
Dr Carla Proietti
Dr William Lindsey
$184,438
2024
3 years
Current project
