In 2010, Discover reported on a theory that brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and schizophrenia might have a common source — a virus. ("The Insanity Virus," June 2010) Researchers found mounting evidence that we carry this virus in our DNA, like the genes for left-handedness. What’s more, infections such as influenza, picked up from our environment early in life, might be the trigger for these diseases.
June 2010 issue
The theory: Millions of years ago, an ancient human ancestor contracted a retrovirus that inserted its DNA into the host’s reproductive germ cells, passing the viral DNA down the ancestral line. The virus, called human endogenous retrovirus W (HERV-W), codes for a protein that, when activated, sets off an inflammatory cascade in the brain that leads to symptoms. This theory is gaining traction among psychiatrists, especially as a potential explanation for schizophrenia, a disease once considered a result of ...
