Journal Club Recap: January 11, 2019

January 11, 2019: At Journal Club, our experts sat down to discuss a paper on Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) specific T cell therapy for patients with progressive MS.

Epstein-Barr virus-specific T cell therapy for progressive multiple sclerosis

Researchers were able to use patient blood samples to produce cytotoxic T cells that specifically target cells infected with EBV, a virus found in almost all patients with MS. Many people have inactive EBV infections, but activation of the virus is linked with a predisposition for MS. This study found that 7/10 patients receiving the treatment demonstrated neurological improvement. No serious adverse effects were reported, but further investigation is required to determine the clinical efficacy of this treatment.