HEFEI -- An international research team has uncovered a critical link between common viral infections and multiple sclerosis (MS), offering new insights into the disease's pathogenesis.

The collaborative study, conducted by researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China and the University of Zurich, was published online on Wednesday in the journal Cell.

MS is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been identified as a key trigger of MS. EBV is widely prevalent and remains latent in over 90 percent of adults worldwide. While nearly all MS patients have been infected with EBV, the exact mechanism by which the virus initiates the disease has remained unclear.

The study revealed that after EBV infects B cells -- a type of antigen-presenting cell -- viral proteins reprogram the cell's gene expression. This leads to the presentation of myelin basic protein (MBP) peptide fragments on the B cell surface. These fragments are then recognized by immune T cells, which become activated and turn into autoreactive T cells.

Over time, these autoreactive T cells enter the central nervous system and attack MBP in brain tissues, ultimately leading to MS.

Researchers added that these findings offer a molecular-level explanation for the development of MS and lay important groundwork for the future development of targeted prevention and treatment strategies.