March 2024 - Hannes Vietzen

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Dr. Hannes Vietzen

MedUni Wien RESEARCHER OF THE MONTH March 2024

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections are among the most common viral infections in humans. In some individuals, primary EBV infections may cause an infectious mononucleosis with symptoms that include fatigue, fever, and a sore throat. There is, however, no vaccine available able to prevent the development of infectious mononucleosis. In our recently published study “HLA-E-Restricted Immune Responses are Crucial for the Control of EBV Infections and the Prevention of PTLD” we have now identified a long-lasting and potent EBV-specific immune response that efficiently controls EBV. This immune response can mediate protection from infectious mononucleosis and could form the basis of future EBV vaccines.

Selected Literature

1. Vietzen, H., et al., HLA-E-Restricted Immune Responses Are Crucial for the Control of EBV Infections and the Prevention of PTLD. Blood, 2022

2. Damania, B., S.C. Kenney, and N. Raab-Traub, Epstein-Barr virus: Biology and clinical disease. Cell, 2022. 185(20): p. 3652-3670

3. Bjornevik, K., et al., Longitudinal analysis reveals high prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus associated with multiple sclerosis. Science, 2022. 375(6578): p. 296-301.

4. Vietzen, H., et al., Ineffective control of Epstein-Barr-virus-induced autoimmunity increases the risk for multiple sclerosis. Cell, 2023. 186(26): p. 5705-5718.e13.

5. Farrell, P.J., Epstein–Barr Virus and Cancer. Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease, 2019. 14(1): p. 29-53.