Three Harvard researchers were awarded the prestigious 2025 Breakthrough Prizes, recognizing their significant contributions to health sciences. Alberto Ascherio was honored for establishing that Epstein-Barr virus infection is a major cause of multiple sclerosis (MS), affecting millions worldwide. His 25-year research led to groundbreaking findings showing increased MS risk linked to Epstein-Barr infection, prompting the development of targeted vaccines and therapies. This discovery marks a pivotal moment in MS research, fostering hope for future treatment options for this debilitating disease.
"It's virtually a consensus now that Epstein-Barr is the leading cause of MS," Ascherio said. "I'm happy to say that finally, after 25 years, it's been a big splash."
Ascherio and his colleagues found that infection with the Epstein-Barr virus significantly increased the risk of developing multiple sclerosis later in life - the first compelling evidence of a cause for this devastating disease.
The discovery revolutionized the field of MS research, and a vaccine and antibody drugs that target Epstein-Barr are now in development.
The prize, founded in 2013 by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Yuri and Julia Milner, and Anne Wojcicki, honors achievements in life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics.
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