Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an aetiologic risk factor for the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the role of EBV-infected B cells in the immunopathology of MS is not well understood. Here we characterized spontaneous lymphoblastoid cell lines (SLCLs) isolated from MS patients and healthy controls (HC) ex vivo to study EBV and host gene expression in the context of an individual's endogenous EBV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiosimilars are increasingly available for the treatment of many serious disorders, however some concerns persist about switching a patient to a biosimilar whose condition is stable while on the reference biologic. Randomized controlled studies and extension studies with a switch treatment period (STP) to or from a biosimilar and its reference biologic were identified from publicly available information maintained by the U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm
September 2023
Background And Objectives: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus that establishes lifelong latency in memory B cells and has been identified as a major risk factor of multiple sclerosis (MS). B cell depletion therapies have disease-modifying benefit in MS. However, it is unclear whether this benefit is partly attributable to the elimination of EBV B cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpidemiological studies have demonstrated that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a known etiologic risk factor, and perhaps prerequisite, for the development of MS. EBV establishes life-long latent infection in a subpopulation of memory B cells. Although the role of memory B cells in the pathobiology of MS is well established, studies characterizing EBV-associated mechanisms of B cell inflammation and disease pathogenesis in EBV (+) B cells from MS patients are limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Dramatic improvements in visualization of cortical (especially subpial) multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions allow assessment of impact on clinical course.
Objective: Characterize cortical lesions by 7 tesla (T) T-/T-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); determine relationship with other MS pathology and contribution to disability.
Methods: Sixty-four adults with MS (45 relapsing-remitting/19 progressive) underwent 3 T brain/spine MRI, 7 T brain MRI, and clinical testing.
Background: Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a rare disease of the CNS caused by JC virus and occurring in immunosuppressed people, is typically fatal unless adaptive immunity is restored. JC virus is a member of the human polyomavirus family and is closely related to the BK virus. We hypothesised that use of partly HLA-matched donor-derived BK virus-specific T cells for immunotherapy in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy would be feasible and safe.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: We sought to characterize spinal cord atrophy along the entire spinal cord in the major multiple sclerosis (MS) phenotypes, and evaluate its correlation with clinical disability.
Methods: Axial T-weighted images were automatically reformatted at each point along the cord. Spinal cord cross-sectional area (SCCSA) were calculated from C1-T10 vertebral body levels and profile plots were compared across phenotypes.