Overview
- Published Nov. 12 in Science Translational Medicine, the Stanford-led study used a new EBV-specific single-cell sequencing method on blood from 11 lupus patients and 10 controls.
- Researchers found roughly 1 in 400 B cells harbored EBV in lupus versus fewer than 1 in 10,000 in controls, with infection concentrated in autoreactive memory B cells.
- The team identified the viral protein EBNA2 binding host genes such as ZEB2 and TBX21, reprogramming B cells to present self-antigens and recruit T cells that sustain autoimmunity.
- The findings highlight therapeutic avenues that target infected B cells, including depletion strategies and CAR-T approaches, and they renew interest in preventive EBV vaccines now in early trials.
- Study leaders and backers, including the Lupus Research Alliance, emphasize translation and have launched EBVio Inc., while independent experts caution that larger, diverse studies are needed to confirm scope and guide clinical trials.