The campus at the University of Minnesota is bustling with activity as students begin their second full week of classes. That means that the Clinical Virology Programs staff is also busy with our Mono 5 study as roughly 100 of those same students come in for their first appointment of the semester.
Mono 5 is designed to follow University of Minnesota freshmen that have never been infected by EBV for as long as 4 years to learn why some students get mono whereas others become infected by EBV but never get sick, and others never get infected. The point is to discover risk factors for severity, so that those who most need treatment are identified quickly and managed appropriately.
To date our Mono 5 participants have made over 1,200 clinic visits over the course of two years. That’s a mountain of data. We’re already learning new information about mononucleosis, but there’s a lot more work to be done.
Not only that, but last fall we opened a treatment study called Mono 6. In Mono 6 we’re testing a new, experimental drug to see how effective it is against the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), the virus that causes mono. Participants will receive either the drug or placebo for three weeks. We’re looking to see if the drug makes students with mono better faster by reducing the amount of EBV they carry. This study is currently open for enrollment. If you are over the age of 15 and have had symptoms of severe sore throat, swollen glands, headache and loss of appetite, and the symptoms started within the last week, please call us at 612-625-1462 so we can determine whether or not you are eligible for the study. Study participants receive a $20 gift card for each study visit.
There are some indications in the community that suggest we’re going to see more cases of infectious mono this year than last year, but no one knows for sure. These two studies are part of our ongoing effort to study this disease; it’s effects, risk factors and possible treatment. Stay tuned to our website for more updates as the season progresses.