Potential for molecular targeted therapy for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma is an aggressive lymphoproliferative disorder of CD4+ T lymphocytes associated with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-I) infection. Approximately 5% of infected people will develop an aggressive form of ATL, characterized by high circulating cell count, skin and organ infiltration and expression of cytokine, chemokine and survival genes. The available therapies for ATL have minimal efficacy, with few responders and poor survival. Recent advances have led to the identification of key molecules and cellular pathways involved in HTLV-1 mediated cellular transformation and tumor progression. We describe within a few key elements that contribute to neoplastic development of ATL, in addition to interesting molecular drug targets that may lead to more effective therapeutic strategies.