MeteoWeb
A new vaccine candidate for the virus at Epstein Barr (EBV) – a pathogen associated with multiple sclerosis and some cancers – has shown promise in mice, according to a paper published in Nature Communications. As no vaccine has currently been approved to protect against this widespread virus, there is an urgent global need for new developments.
EBV is a member of the herpes virus family that can be transmitted through saliva and is known to infect at least 95% of the world‘s adult population. Primary infection can cause glandular fever but, unlike other viruses, EBV is not cleared by the immune system after primary infection and remains in circulation for life.
EBV infection is also a risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and some throat and nose cancers. Nonetheless, previous EBV vaccine candidates have performed poorly when evaluated in humans and animal models, and currently no vaccines have been shown to be effective or have been approved.
Scientists designed a vaccine that targets lymph nodes and tested its efficacy in a mouse model. They found that vaccine administration led to the production of potent EBV-specific antibodies and T cells, which were maintained for at least seven months after vaccination in the mouse model.
The authors also demonstrated the ability of the vaccine to induce immunity capable of controlling the spread of EBV-associated tumors and to control tumor growth in a mouse model of lymphoma. Further work is needed to determine vaccine performance in the setting of primary infection, transfer of results to humans, and long-term stability of vaccine-induced immunity.
Continue reading on MeteoWeb