New treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) focused on B cells have created an atmosphere of excitement in the MS community. B cells are now known to play a major role in disease, demonstrated by the highly impactful effect of a B cell-depleting antibody on controlling MS. The idea that a virus may play a role in the development of MS has a long history and is supported mostly by studies demonstrating a link between B cell-tropic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and disease onset. Efforts to develop antiviral strategies for treating MS are underway. Although gaps remain in our understanding of the etiology of MS, the role, if any, of viruses in propagating pathogenic immune responses deserves attention.

中文翻译：

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多发性硬化症中的 Epstein-Barr 病毒：理论和新兴免疫疗法。

以 B 细胞为重点的多发性硬化症 (MS) 新疗法在 MS 社区营造了一种令人兴奋的氛围。现在已知 B 细胞在疾病中起主要作用，B 细胞耗竭抗体对控制 MS 的高度影响证明了这一点。病毒可能在 MS 的发展中发挥作用的观点由来已久，并且主要得到证明 B 细胞嗜性 Epstein-Barr 病毒 (EBV) 与疾病发作之间存在联系的研究的支持。正在努力开发治疗 MS 的抗病毒策略。尽管我们对 MS 病因学的理解仍然存在差距，但病毒在传播致病性免疫反应中的作用（如果有的话）值得关注。