Does Cancer-Causing Virus Affect Brain Cells? Here’s What IIT Indore Researchers Found

New Delhi: Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) affects brain cells and could lead to neurological disorders. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore have found that EBV, one of the most commonly found viruses, is a member of the herpes virus family and spreads most commonly through bodily fluids, primarily saliva. While it usually does not cause any harm, the virus gets reactivated inside the body in some unusual conditions like immunological stress or immunocompetence.

Using the Raman micro-spectroscopy technique, the research team from IIT Indore explored the possible impacts of a cancer-causing virus on brain cells and found that it drives various changes in biomolecules such as fatty acids, carbohydrates, and protein components, leading to diseases of the central nervous system as well as brain cancer, India Today reported.

However, scientists are yet to understand how this virus affects the cells of the brain and manipulates them. The study, published in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience, showed that there could be timely and gradual changes in various biomolecules in the neuronal cells under the viral influence.

“The research work aids in the understanding of EBV-mediated biomolecular changes in the various compartments of the central nervous system leading to a better understanding of nervous system diseases,” said Dr Hem Chandra Jha, group leader from the Infection Bioengineering group at IIT Indore, said in a statement.

The team observed that the lipid, cholesterol, proline, and glucose molecules increased in the cells under the viral influence. These biomolecular entities could ultimately play pivotal roles in the viral usurpation of cells.