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Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo
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Viral lymphomas: can antivirals be used to treat cancer?

Ethel Cesarman1

  • 1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA. ecesarm@med.cornell.edu

Hematology (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|April 18, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), KSHV, and HTLV-1 drive lymphomagenesis by disrupting cell signaling. Targeting viral proteins offers a potential for specific therapies against these viral cancers.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), and Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) are implicated in lymphomagenesis.
  • These viruses subvert host-cell signaling pathways, promoting uncontrolled cell growth and survival, critical for tumor development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential for developing targeted therapies against viral proteins of EBV, KSHV, and HTLV-1.
  • To explore whether the pathobiology of these viruses permits targeting viral proteins for cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current knowledge on viral lymphomagenesis and affected signaling pathways (NF-kB, MTOR, JAK-STAT).
  • Analysis of the feasibility of targeting viral proteins versus host-cell proteins for therapeutic intervention.

Main Results:

  • Activation of the NF-kB pathway by EBV, KSHV, and HTLV-1 promotes cell survival and inhibits apoptosis, contributing to tumorigenesis.
  • Other pathways like MTOR and JAK-STAT are also likely involved in viral lymphomagenesis.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting host-cell signaling pathways with existing drugs is possible but carries toxicity risks.
  • Targeting viral proteins offers a unique opportunity for developing highly specific therapies against EBV, KSHV, and HTLV-1-associated malignancies.

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