Epstein-Barr virus reprograms autoreactive B cells as antigen presenting cells in systemic lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the production of antibodies against the body own nuclear material. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a common virus that infects nearly all humans, has long been linked to increased risk of developing SLE, but the mechanisms remained poorly understood. This study uses advanced single-cell RNA sequencing and B cell receptor analysis to show that EBV directly infects autoreactive B cells in SLE and reprograms them into activated antigen-presenting cells (APCs)