Molecular studies and therapeutic targeting of Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV/HHV-8) oncogenesis

Immunol Res. 2013 Dec;57(1-3):159-65. doi: 10.1007/s12026-013-8458-z.

Abstract

Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus or human herpesvirus-8 (KSHV/HHV-8) is the etiological agent of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), an AIDS-defining angioproliferative neoplasm that continues to be a major global health problem and, of primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), a rare incurable B-cell lymphoma. This review describes the research from our laboratory and its collaborators to uncover molecular mechanisms of viral oncogenesis in order to develop new pathogenesis-based therapies to the KSHV-induced AIDS malignancies KS and PEL. They include the discovery of the viral angiogenic oncogene G protein-coupled receptor (vGPCR), the development of mouse models of KSHV and oxidative stress-induced KS, the identification of the role of Rac1-induced ROS in viral oncogenesis of KS and the development of novel therapeutic approaches able to target both latent and lytic oncogenic KSHV infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Transformation, Viral*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Herpesviridae Infections / complications*
  • Herpesvirus 8, Human / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Paracrine Communication
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism
  • Sarcoma, Kaposi / etiology*
  • Sarcoma, Kaposi / metabolism
  • Translational Research, Biomedical
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein