A team of scientists based at the Australian research institute QIMR Berghofer has made a breakthrough in testing in mice the first vaccine against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which is carried by 95% of the world’s population, according to an article published in the scientific journal Nature.
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The virus is a member of the herpes virus family and can be transmitted through saliva. At least 95% of the world’s population are carriers, and in most people the disease occurs at an early age and does not lead to serious consequences. However, if it occurs later in life, the consequences may include various types of fever, cancer of the throat or nose, and multiple sclerosis.
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“Here we describe the composition of the vaccine … which is likely to provide better protection against primary infection and control of latently infected B cells, resulting in protection against the development of EBV-related diseases,” the article says.
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The article also notes that no Epstein-Barr virus vaccine has been licensed to date.
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One of the authors of the study, Vijayendra Dasari, in a video presentation posted on YouTube, says that there have been previous attempts to create a vaccine based on antibodies, but in the latest study, scientists were able to create a partial immune system, thereby making a breakthrough in the work on the vaccine.
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It is noted that the team already has some funding from industry partners for further vaccine trials, which could begin in 2024 or 2025.
