Multiple Sclerosis and the Shingles Vaccine Cure

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects more than 250,000 people in the United States, yet a cure remains elusive. MS researchers identified a surprising link between the virus that causes shingles and the autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis. However, the implications of this link are not completely understood. Although there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, the vaccine for shingles may offer palliative benefits to multiple sclerosis patients and open the doors to further research.

Effects of Demyelination

• Multiple sclerosis attacks the brain and spinal cord. Immune system cells demyelinate or strip away the protective, fatty myelin sheath covering the nerves. What remains are plaques or scleroses. The myelin sheath now has interruptions and smooth, rapid nerve transmissions do not occur. Optic neuritis, pain, lack of coordination, paresthesias, and dizziness may result from demyelination.

The Virus Connection

• What do the shingles virus and multiple sclerosis have in common? Researchers believe that there may be a connection between the shingles virus and the later development of multiple sclerosis. In the April 2007 issue of "The Journal of Neurology," Sotelo et al found the shingles virus in a patient's blood during an MS attack. They believe that when a multiple sclerosis patient has a flare-up of symptoms, this virus plays a role.

Effects of the Shingles Virus

• Shingles is actually the same virus as the chickenpox. Normally, people have the chickenpox once as a child and then have enough immunity to avoid getting sick again. However, the virus can reappear in adulthood as shingles. Shingles results in a breakout of blisters on a patch of skin. Shingles can be very painful and a fever may accompany it. Severe cases of shingles may require hospitalization. What is interesting to note is the fact that the chickenpox virus remains in the body forever in the nerve cells. There is no cure for chickenpox; however, newly developed vaccines help to prevent it and antivirals treat it. The idea is that if a chickenpox or shingles vaccine could also treat the virus, then it might help multiple sclerosis symptoms, too. The presence of the virus in an MS patient having a flare-up of symptoms is striking.

Theories/Speculation

• The MS Association reported that patients who were administered antiviral drugs like valcyclovir and acyclovir had a reduction in disease activity. Because of the decrease in active brain lesions suggestive of disease worsening, doctors might soon be using these antivirals to treat MS patients.

Potential

• Clinical studies are underway using shingles antivirals and vaccine, It is unlikely that the vaccines as we know them are the elusive solutions to the MS cure. However, the potential for a better understanding of multiple sclerosis' etiology is strong. Does the shingles virus actually cause multiple sclerosis? No conclusive evidence has yet been produced. However, this latent virus in the nerve cells which acts in tandem with a multiple sclerosis exacerbation offers clues for scientists to pursue new treatments and ultimately a cure.