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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

Epstein-Barr virus appears to be trigger of lupus disease, say scientists

Scientist in a laboratory.
The work helps uncover how EBV appears to cause lupus by sending the immune system into a tailspin. Photograph: poba/Getty Images

A common childhood virus appears to be the trigger for the autoimmune disease lupus, according to groundbreaking research.

The study suggests that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which for most people is harmless, can cause immune cells to “go rogue” and mistakenly attack the body’s own tissues. The team behind the work said that uncovering the cause of lupus could revolutionise treatments.

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