New evidence on MS trigger

When a virus releases the immune brake: New evidence on the onset of multiple sclerosis

January 13, 2026
5:42 pm

Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis arise when the immune system turns against the body itself. Yet for most of them, it remains unclear why this process begins. Researchers have now identified how the Epstein-Barr virus can, under specific conditions, initiate early multiple sclerosis-like damage in the brain. This offers a new perspective on how rare immune events may shape disease risk.

There is mounting evidence that the Epstein-Barr virus may play a part in causing autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. But one puzzle remains: almost everyone gets this virus early in life, yet only a few people ever go on to develop multiple sclerosis.

Now, a team led by Dr. Nicholas Sanderson and Professor Tobias Derfuss at the Department of Biomedicine of the University of Basel and the University Hospital Basel, report new evidence in Cell that helps resolve this puzzle. Working at the interface of clinical neurology and basic immunology, the researchers focused on B cells—a type of immune cell best known for producing antibodies.

When a virus releases the immune brake: New evidence on the onset of multiple sclerosis

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