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47m ago

Scientists Trace Lupus Mechanism to Epstein–Barr Virus in B Cells

Researchers outline a cellular pathway that may guide EBV vaccine development.

Using an FA staining technique, this photomicrograph depicts leukemia cells that contain the Epstein-Barr virus, shown in 1972. 
A view of Stanford University, including Hoover Tower, as seen from Stanford Stadium during an ACC college football game between the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Stanford Cardinal in Palo Alto, Calif., on Nov. 1, 2025. 
An electron micrograph showing three Epstein-Barr virus particles, which are colorized red-orange, in 2024. 
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Overview

  • The peer-reviewed paper in Science Translational Medicine analyzed B cells from 11 people with lupus and 10 healthy controls using high-precision sequencing.
  • EBV was found in about 1 in 400 B cells in lupus compared with fewer than 1 in 10,000 in controls, with infections enriched in self-reactive cells.
  • The study indicates dormant EBV can trigger EBNA2 expression, reprogramming autoreactive B cells and recruiting T cells to drive autoimmune damage.
  • Senior author William Robinson said the mechanism applies to all lupus cases, while outside experts urged replication and larger, more diverse cohorts.
  • The findings boost interest in EBV-directed prevention and treatment, including vaccine trials, B-cell depletion strategies, CAR-T approaches, and a new startup targeting infected B cells.