Abstract: Viral material, in the isolated or purified state, in which the genome comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from the group including sequences SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:56, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 50% and preferably at least 70% homology with the said sequences SEQ ID NO:46, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:53 and SEQ ID NO:56, respectively, and their complementary sequences.

Abstract: Composition including two pathogenic and/or infective agents associated with multiple sclerosis, namely a first agent which consists of a human virus possessing reverse transcriptase activity and related to a family of endogenous retroviral elements, or a variant of the virus, and a second agent, or a variant of the second agent, these two pathogenic and/or infective agents originating from the same viral strain chosen from the strains designated, respectively, POL-2 deposited with the ECACC on Jul. 22, 1992 under Accession Number V92072202 and MS7PG deposited with the ECACC on Jan. 8, 1993 under Accession Number V93010816, and from their variant strains.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for in vitro culture of cells infected by a virus associated with multiple sclerosis and to the infected cell lines thus produced. According to the invention, the process includes: a) cultivation of human cells infected by a viral strain to obtain at least one culture of primary cells infected by the viral strain, b) cultivation of non-infected human cells permissive to the viral strain to obtain at least one permissive culture, c) cocultivation of at least one sample of a culture of infected primary cells and one sample of the permissive culture to obtain a first infected derived culture, d) cultivation in series of the first infected derived culture. The invention is used in particular in the pharmaceutical diagnostics industry sector.

Abstract: Gliotoxic factor in the isolated or purified state, characterized in that it possesses toxic activity with respect to human or animal astrocytic cells, having the effect of a cytomorphological disorganization of their network of intermediate filaments and/or a degradation of the proteins of said intermediate filaments and/or cell death, in particular by apoptosis.

Abstract: Composition including two pathogenic and/or infective agents associated with multiple sclerosis, namely a first agent which consists of a human virus possessing reverse transcriptase activity and related to a family of endogenous retroviral elements, or a variant of the virus, and a second agent, or a variant of the second agent, these two pathogenic and/or infective agents originating from the same viral strain chosen from the strains designated, respectively, POL-2 deposited with the ECACC on Jul. 22, 1992 under Accession Number V92072202 and MS7PG deposited with the ECACC on Jan. 8, 1993 under Accession Number V93010816, and from their variant strains.

Abstract: Composition including two pathogenic and/or infective agents associated with multiple sclerosis, namely a first agent which consists of a human virus possessing reverse transcriptase activity and related to a family of endogenous retroviral elements, or a variant of the virus, and a second agent, or a variant of the second agent, these two pathogenic and/or infective agents originating from the same viral strain chosen from the strains designated, respectively, POL-2 deposited with the ECACC on Jul. 22, 1992 under Accession Number V92072202 and MS7PG deposited with the ECACC on Jan. 8, 1993 under Accession Number V93010816, and from their variant strains.

Abstract: Composition including two pathogenic and/or infective agents associated with multiple sclerosis, namely a first agent which consists of a human virus possessing reverse transcriptase activity and related to a family of endogenous retroviral elements, or a variant of the virus, and a second agent, or a variant of the second agent, these two pathogenic and/or infective agents originating from the same viral strain chosen from the strains designated, respectively, POL-2 deposited with the ECACC on Jul. 22, 1992 under Accession Number V92072202 and MS7PG deposited with the ECACC on Jan. 8, 1993 under Accession Number V93010816, and from their variant strains.

Abstract: Gliotoxic factor in the isolated or purified state, characterized in that it possesses toxic activity with respect to human or animal astrocytic cells, having the effect of a cytomorphological disorganization of their network of intermediate filaments and/or a degradation of the proteins of said intermediate filaments and/or cell death, in particular by apoptosis.

Abstract: Process for in vitro production of a culture or cell line infected by a viral strain associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to which a body sample is taken from an individual suffering from MS, said sample is cultivated in a culture medium which promotes the growth of infected cells to obtain a culture of primary infected cells, and a sample of the culture of primary cells or of a subculture of the latter is cultivated in series, that is to say by successive passages, in said culture medium to obtain the culture or cell line infected by a virus associated with MS, which comprises a procedure in which the culture medium also contains a beta anti-interferon antibody or an antibody which is directed against an antigenically close molecule, the antibody playing an inhibiting role in viral expression and allowing long-lasting expression and propagation of the viral strain in the culture or cell line.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for in vitro culture of cells infected by a virus associated with multiple sclerosis and to the infected cell lines thus produced. The process is the cultivation of human cells infected by a viral strain to obtain at least one culture of primary cells infected by the said viral strain, along with the cultivation of non-infected human cells permissive to the viral strain to obtain at least one permissive culture, followed by cocultivation of at least one sample of a culture of infected primary cells and one sample of the permissive culture to obtain a first infected derived culture, then cultivating in series of the first infected derived culture. The invention is used in particular in the pharmaceutical diagnostics industry sector. In the preferred process, the infected cells are leptomeningeal cells and the permissive cells are leptomeningeal cells or plexuschoroideus cells.