Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a T cell driven autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Despite its association with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), how viral infections promote MS remains unclear. However, there is increasing evidence that the CNS is continuously surveyed by virus-specific T cells, which protect against reactivating neurotropic viruses. Here, we discuss how viral infections could lead to the breakdown of self-tolerance in genetically predisposed individuals, and how the reactivations of viruses in the CNS could induce the recruitment of both autoaggressive and virus-specific T cell subsets, causing relapses and progressive disability. A disturbed immune surveillance in MS would explain several experimental findings, and has important implications for prognosis and therapy.

中文翻译：

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病毒在多发性硬化症中的神秘作用：分子模拟还是免疫监视受到干扰？

多发性硬化症（MS）是T细胞驱动的中枢神经系统（CNS）自身免疫性疾病。尽管它与爱泼斯坦-巴尔病毒（EBV）相关，但病毒感染如何促进MS仍不清楚。但是，越来越多的证据表明，中枢神经系统一直受到病毒特异性T细胞的调查，这些T细胞可防止再活化的嗜神经病毒。在这里，我们讨论病毒感染如何导致遗传易感个体的自我耐受性崩溃，以及中枢神经系统中病毒的重新激活如何诱导自激和病毒特异性T细胞亚群的募集，从而导致复发和进行性残疾。多发性硬化患者免疫监测紊乱将解释一些实验发现，并对预后和治疗产生重要影响。