Health Rounds: Scientists develop promising antibodies to prevent Epstein-Barr infection

By Nancy Lapid

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Hello Health Rounds readers! Today we feature some positive news along with a distressing report. Researchers in Seattle may have developed a treatment that could someday prevent Epstein-Barr infection based on early testing in mice. We also highlight the latest study to find microplastics in human tissue, this time in prostate glands.

Antibody blocks Epstein-Barr virus infection in mice

Researchers may be closer to developing a vaccine that protects against Epstein-Barr, a common virus linked with infectious mononucleosis, multiple sclerosis, cancers and other serious illnesses, after successfully testing antibodies they developed in mice.

Nearly 95% of the global population is infected with Epstein-Barr virus, with some populations at higher risk for serious complications if the virus becomes activated.

Using mice carrying human antibody genes, researchers developed 10 monoclonal antibodies that targeted either of two proteins on the surface of the virus - gp350, which helps EBV bind to cell receptors, and gp42, which helps it enter the cells.

One of the antibodies against gp42 successfully prevented infection when mice with human immune systems were exposed to EBV, the researchers reported in Cell Reports Medicine.

Another antibody against gp350 provided partial protection, they said.

“After many years of searching for a viable way to protect against Epstein-Barr virus, this is a significant stride for the scientific community and the people at the highest risk of complications from this virus,” study coauthor Andrew McGuire of Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle said.

EBV-associated lymphomas are a frequent cause of potentially fatal complications in immunosuppressed transplant recipients, the researchers noted.

Infusions of monoclonal antibodies could one day block EBV infection and activation in these and other high-risk patients, they said.

“Effective prevention of EBV viremia remains a significant unmet need in transplant medicine,” study coauthor Dr. Rachel Bender Ignacio, also of Fred Hutch, said in a statement.

A vaccine “would make a huge difference,” McGuire added.

Plastic found in prostate tumors and healthy tissue

Plastic particles are finding their way into prostate glands, according to a small study that found fragments of plastic in nine of 10 patients with prostate cancer, and in higher levels inside tumors than in nearby noncancerous tissue.

Tumor samples contained on average 2.5 times the amount of plastic as the healthy prostate tissue samples, doctors found. There were about 40 micrograms of plastic per gram of tissue in the tumors versus 16 mcg/g in healthy prostate tissue, according to data scheduled for presentation this week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

While early data has suggested a link between microplastics and other health conditions, such as heart disease and dementia, there has been little direct evidence connecting the substances to prostate cancer, according to study leader Dr. Stacy Loeb of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

“Our pilot study provides important evidence that microplastic exposure may be a risk factor for prostate cancer,” Loeb said in a statement.