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In terms of what cures are being lost: - Epstein-Barr virus is perhaps the major trigger for multiple sclerosis - herpes simplex virus causes cold sores, genital herpes, infections in babies, deadly meningitis - shingles virus causes an intensely painful disease

These are efforts to make cures for multiple sclerosis, herpes — affects hundreds of millions in the US alone! — and shingles. This is mindblowing, amazing stuff. But these efforts for cures require a predictable regulatory environment, where decisions are made based on science & and pub health.

For the scientists and docs: shingles / herpes zoster is the disease, the virus is varicella zoster virus, which is a herpesvirus

And beyond that if anyone has questions we should ask a virologist, I’m just a neuroscientist from a small town whose mind has been blown by the MS/EBV studies

This is a better way to say it than I did bsky.app/profile/merz...

I see so many patients who have the length and the quality of their lives destroyed by MS. Even if our treatments are getting better, they can have significant side effects, not everyone can afford them, and they don’t work for everyone. It is so much better to prevent an illness…

And as a MD/trained in immunology - yes - EBV in MS and also in Lupus And HHS (1-6 serotypes) in dementia esp ALZ - and independent of Apo-E4 allele- just a cold sore - and as we age and during pregnancy become active - with transposable elements of our DNA to set the process!