Human gamma-herpesviruses: a review of 2 divergent paths to oncogenesis

The human gamma-herpesviruses play a role in the evolution of a number of neoplastic conditions. These are a consequence of strategies these viruses use to evade the immune response and persist in the host. Malignancies caused by Epstein Barr virus (EBV) arise largely due to viral genes expressed during the latent phase of infection which transform B lymphocytes and render them susceptible to DNA damage. In the case of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8), genes expressed during lytic infection appear to be central to the oncogenic process. The mechanisms by which these viruses induce malignant transformation and the conditions they cause will be discussed in this review.