18/11/2025
🧬 Scientists may have finally solved one of medicine’s great mysteries: the root cause of lupus, a complex autoimmune disease.
A landmark study by Stanford University researchers reveals that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)—responsible for mononucleosis and infecting over 90% of people worldwide—could underlie virtually every lupus case. The team found EBV directly infects and reprograms B cells, white blood cells essential for immunological memory. In lupus patients, the percentage of B cells infected with EBV is nearly 25 times higher than in healthy individuals, triggering a cascade of pro-inflammatory signals and autoimmune activity.
This breakthrough is powered by a new EBV-specific sequencing technique, allowing scientists to pinpoint infected memory B cells that launch the body’s attack on its own tissues. Crucially, the viral protein EBNA2 acts as a molecular switch, activating genes that drive inflammation. The findings suggest that targeting EBV-infected B cells could lead to entirely new therapies and finally offer hope for true remission—potentially impacting related conditions like multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Experts caution that this is just the beginning, and further research across larger patient groups is vital. Yet, the evidence for a viral origin of lupus is stronger than ever, opening the door to targeted interventions and, perhaps, prevention.
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📄 RESEARCH PAPER
📌 Shady Younis et al, "Epstein-Barr virus reprograms autoreactive B cells as antigen-presenting cells in systemic lupus erythematosus", Science Translational Medicine (2025)
