MS Caused by a Virus?

Dr. Burt prescribes the antiviral drug acyclovir to MS patients he treats with chemo/HSCT. The reason he told me is that the antiviral helps prevent painful shingles outbreaks, which have tended to occur in patients after chemo.  Shingles is caused by the same herpes virus that causes chickenpox. This virus remains dormant in the body after a child gets over chickenpox, and often comes back as shingles in older adults.

Some doctors prescribe a different antiviral, amantadine, to reduce fatigue in MS patients. Whether the drug suppresses a particular virus, or a complex of viruses related to fatigue in MSers, is unknown. The Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis, has also been correlated with MS incidence and fatigue. The MS Society has a good summary of the spotty research on viruses and MS here.

Now new research at Barts and the London, provides further evidence that viruses may play a role in MS.  The paper suggests that T cells responding to specific herpes and Epstein-Barr viruses are enriched in the spinal fluid of MSers .

The paper further suggest that treating viruses, and/or T cell memory of the viruses, may play an important role in stopping MS progression.  

Yes, I'm remembering to take my acyclovir.  : )

Immune system T cell