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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

An In Vitro Model for Studying Cellular Transformation by Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus
Published on: August 25, 2017
Kaposi sarcoma as a model of oncogenesis and cancer treatment
Amy Hansen1, Chris Boshoff, Dimitrios Lagos
1Cancer Research UK Viral Oncology Group, Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, UCL, London, UK. a.hansen@ucl.ac.uk
Abstract:
Kaposi sarcoma is the most common cancer among HIV-infected individuals and one of the most common cancers in sub-Saharan Africa. Kaposi sarcoma lesions are highly vascularized, and comprised of spindle-shaped tumor cells. Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus is etiologically linked to Kaposi sarcoma development and encodes genes that contribute to cellular transformation, evasion of apoptosis, aberrant angiogenesis and an inflammatory tumor microenvironment. The study of Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus-driven malignancies has provided a model of oncogenesis and identified some of the key steps and, therefore, therapeutic targets of Kaposi sarcoma development. However, current Kaposi sarcoma treatments are not specific and rely on reconstitution of the immune system and systemic administration of cytotoxic agents. Recent studies have demonstrated that mechanism-based therapeutics, such as vascular endothelial growth factor A or mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, are promising therapeutic approaches bridging basic research with clinical practice.
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