One new Epstein Barr virus vaccine, which often infects humans and can cause everything from infectious mononucleosis to multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases, even some types of cancer, is showing promise after testing it in mice. The relevant research is presented in the journal “Nature Communications”.

To date, no vaccine has been approved to protect against this widespread virus of the herpesvirus family. The virus can be transmitted through saliva and it is known that infects at least 95% of the world’s adult population.

Unlike other viruses, the specific one is not removed by the immune system after the primary infection and the carrier carries it for life.

Infection with the Epstein Barr virus is a risk factor for the development of multiple sclerosis, Hodgkin lymphoma, and certain cancers of the throat and nose.

Rajiv Khanna, from the Berghofer Institute of Medical Research in Australia, and his team designed a vaccine that targets the lymph nodes, and when testing it in mice, they found that administration of the vaccine resulted in the production of strong antibodies and T cells, which were maintained for at least seven months after vaccination. The researchers also demonstrated the vaccine’s ability to induce immunity to control the spread of virus-related tumors.

However, further research is needed to determine how well the vaccine works in primary infection and how well its effects will be in humans, as well as the long-term stability of immunity.