Pablo Villoslada
Head of the Neurology Service at the Hospital del Mar (Barcelona) and Director of the Neurosciences Programme
What do you think of the study as a whole, and is it of good quality?
‘Yes, it is from the group at Stanford University and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, which is very prestigious and has experience in the subject.
How does it fit with the existing evidence and what is new about it?
‘It is a validation that the immune response against the Epstein-Barr virus, which is associated with multiple sclerosis, also produces antibodies against proteins specific to the nervous system. This supports that this virus may be the trigger for an autoimmune disease such as multiple sclerosis.
Are there any important limitations to consider?
‘These are indirect but robust evidences, but a definitive demonstration that Epstein-Barr virus causes multiple sclerosis is still lacking. This demonstration will come from a treatment that eliminates the virus and thus prevents the disease from occurring.