Researchers report that the clinical progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of multiple sclerosis, in marmosets was significantly accelerated in marmosets that had been infected with the common human herpesvirus 6 prior to EAE induction, compared with non-virus-inoculated controls, though no clinical symptoms due to viral infection were observed, supporting the hypothesis that viral infections can increase susceptibility to autoimmunity by triggering a heightened immune state.
Article #18-11974: "Herpesvirus trigger accelerates neuroinflammation in a nonhuman primate model of multiple sclerosis," by Emily C. Leibovitch et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Steven Jacobson, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD; tel: 301-496-0519; e-mail: jacobsons@ninds.nih.gov
###
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences