Summary: A new study in Scientific Reports concludes human herpesvirus 6 may impair the brain’s ability to repair itself in demylination diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. HHV-6 is the most common human herpes virus, with an estimated 80% of people being exposed to infection during childhood. Researchers found the virus produces a protein that can impair the ability of brain cells to repair damaged myelin.

Source: University of Rochester Medical Center.

The ubiquitous human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) may play a critical role in impeding the brain’s ability to repair itself in diseases like multiple sclerosis. The findings, which appear in the journal Scientific Reports, may help explain the differences in severity in symptoms that many people with the disease experience.

“While latent HHV-6 — which can be found in cells throughout the brain — has been associated with demyelinating disorders like multiple sclerosis it has not been clear what…