Genetics

Multiple sclerosis is often described as a genetic disease with environmental triggers, but the story is more intertwined than that. This post walks through how MS research is moving beyond simply counting risk variants to asking what those variants do, in which cells they matter, and how they may intersect with real-world exposures—especially viral factors like Epstein–Barr virus. Using newer “GWAS reworking” methods, regulatory and eQTL mapping, and interactome-based models, we explore a more human and mechanistic picture of risk: one where genes load the gun, the environment pulls the trigger, and biology determines where the damage lands.