Atypical response to the common Epstein-barr Virus --- Auto-immune Disease, Cancer & Major Mental Illness

​Val's Take/Conjecture

• It's estimated that 90 to 95% of the population have the Epstein-Barr Virus.
• So the virus itself is far from rare --- what's rare in various diseases and disorders is an ATYPICAL RESPONSE to the Epstein-Barr Virus.

• Further, Epstein-Barr often becomes a problem for people but often in the context of "Aging."
• For younger people and re-activated Epstein Barr Virus as well as re-activated Microglia -- this may be a form of premature aging.

• For people with Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders, their Microglia may have been dysregulated IN UTERO and easily re-activated.

AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASE

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is now greatly associated with the Epstein-Barr Virus.
• Further, there is some overlap between MS and Bipolar Disorder.

Autoimmune responses to myelin-associated proteins as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: Associations with human herpesvirus-6 and Epstein-Barr virus reactivation (2025)

​Multiple sclerosis and bipolar disorder: an overlap between soma and psyche (2024)

​"This clinical vignette with literature review is an illustration of the interesting, yet still unknown relationship between MS and affective disorders, where one might be influenced by the other but also have a common pathophysiology.

"This highlights that the dividing line between neurology and psychiatry, whose pathophysiology often takes place in the same organ, is often arbitrary."

​​Does Epstein-Barr virus and intracellular Toll-like receptors affect the course of Hashimoto [Thyroiditis] disease? Findings from studies on newly-diagnosed patients (2024)

​Microglia as potential key regulators in viral-induced neuroinflammation (2024)

​Awakening the sleeping giant: Epstein–Barr virus reactivation by biological agents (2024)

​PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

​Hypothesis: bipolar disorder is an Epstein-Barr virus-driven chronic autoimmune disease - implications for immunotherapy (2020)

​Microbes and Mental Illness: Past, Present, and Future (2023)

​"Perspectives on the etiology of mental illness have evolved from demonic possession toward multisystem biologically based models that include gene expression, environmental triggers, immune mediators, and infectious diseases.

"Microbes are associated with a number of mental disorders, including autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders, as well as suicidality and aggressive or violent behaviors. "

​Atypical immune response to Epstein-Barr virus in major depressive disorder (2020)

​CANCER

​Epstein-Barr virus lytic replication and cancer (2025)

​"Epidemiological studies have provided strong evidence that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lytic replication is linked to cancer development."