One of the hallmarks of arthritis is swollen joints containing unusually high quantities of
hyaluronan. Intact hyaluronan molecules facilitate cell migration by acting as ligands for
CD44. Hyaluronan degradation products, readily formed at sites of inflammation, also fuel
inflammatory processes. Irrespective of whether viruses could be a cause of rheumatoid
arthritis, there is clear evidence that links viral infections to this debilitating disease. For this
study, live Epstein-Barr virus and a number of double-and single-stranded synthetic viral …