Genetics

Three 2026 papers take a human genotype and measure it against something other than MS case status. Kamitaki and colleagues find host variation at 45 loci setting Epstein-Barr virus DNA load across 917,000 genomes, with the MHC explaining 56% of its heritability, yet Mendelian randomisation shows that load does not raise MS risk even though patients carry more of it. Pape and colleagues show CD5 blockade shutting down human Th17 cytokine output. Lutje and colleagues find HLA-DRB1*15:01 homozygotes carry more perivascular cuffs and microglial nodules across 287 brain donors.