Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Oncogenesis between Active Expression and Latency: A Possible Source for the Development of Therapeutic Targets

Francesca Marino-Merlo
ORCID logo ,
Sandro Grelli
ORCID logo ,
Antonio Mastino
ORCID logo ,
Michele Lai
ORCID logo ,
Paola Ferrari
,
Andrea Nicolini
* ORCID logo ,
Mauro Pistello
,
Beatrice Macchi
ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 16 August 2023 / Approved: 17 August 2023 / Online: 18 August 2023 (09:41:37 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Marino-Merlo, F.; Grelli, S.; Mastino, A.; Lai, M.; Ferrari, P.; Nicolini, A.; Pistello, M.; Macchi, B. Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Oncogenesis between Active Expression and Latency: A Possible Source for the Development of Therapeutic Targets. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 14807. Marino-Merlo, F.; Grelli, S.; Mastino, A.; Lai, M.; Ferrari, P.; Nicolini, A.; Pistello, M.; Macchi, B. Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Oncogenesis between Active Expression and Latency: A Possible Source for the Development of Therapeutic Targets. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 14807.

Abstract

The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the only known human oncogenic retrovirus. HTLV-1 can cause a cancer called adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). The virus is transmitted through body fluids of infected individuals, primarily breast milk, blood, and semen. At least 5–10 million people in the world are infected with HTLV-1. In addition to ATL, HTLV-1 infection can also cause HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM /TSP). ATL is characterized by low viral ex-pression and poor prognosis. The oncogenesis triggered by HTLV-1 is extremely complex and the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. However, viral regulatory proteins Tax and HTLV-1 bZIP factor (HBZ) have been shown to play key roles in the transformation of HTLV-1-infected T cells. Moreover, several studies have shown that the final fate of HTLV-1-infected transformed T cell clones is the result of a complex interplay of HTLV-1 oncogenic protein expression with cellular transcription factors that subvert the cell cycle and disrupt reg-ulated cell death, thereby exerting their transforming effects. This review provides updated in-formation on the mechanisms underlying the transforming action of HTLV-1 and the potential therapeutic targets to combat ATL.

Keywords

HTLV-1; adult T-cell leukemia; viral oncogenesis; Tax; HBZ; apoptosis

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Oncology and Oncogenics

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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