<
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/lupus-cause-epstein-barr-virus-study-rcna243364>
"One of the most common viruses in the world could be the cause of lupus, an
autoimmune disease with wide-ranging symptoms, according to a study published
Wednesday.
Until now, lupus was somewhat mysterious: No single root cause of the disease
had been found, and while there is no cure, there are medications that can
treat it.
The research, published in the journal
Science Translational Medicine,
suggests that Epstein-Barr virus — which 95% of people acquire at some point in
life — could cause lupus by driving the body to attack its own healthy cells.
It adds to mounting evidence that Epstein-Barr is associated with multiple
long-term health issues, including other autoimmune conditions. As this
evidence stacks up, scientists have accelerated calls for a vaccine that
targets the virus.
“If we now better understand how this fastidious virus is responsible for
autoimmune diseases, I think it’s time to figure out how to prevent it,” said
Dr. Anca Askanase, clinical director of the Lupus Center at Columbia
University, who wasn’t involved in the new research.
In lupus patients, an autoimmune attack can result in extreme fatigue, joint
pain and skin rashes. In rare cases, the disease may lead to fatal or
life-threatening issues such as kidney damage, or weaken the immune system so
the body can’t fight off infections.
Scientists have long suspected a link between Epstein-Barr and lupus, but the
exact connection had remained elusive. Dr. William Robinson, a co-author of the
new study and chief of the division of immunology and rheumatology at Stanford
University, said his new findings solve a major piece of that puzzle.
“From our perspective, it’s the key, missing mechanistic link,” Robinson said.
“We think it applies to all lupus cases,” he added. Hundreds of thousands of
people in the U.S. are living with the disease."
Via Kenny Chaffin.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
