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Samara P, Athanasopoulos M, Mastronikolis S, Kyrodimos E, Athanasopoulos I, Mastronikolis NS. The Role of Oncogenic Viruses in Head and Neck Cancers: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Advancements in Detection Methods. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1482. [PMID: 39065250 PMCID: PMC11279059 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12071482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancers (HNCs) constitute a wide range of malignancies originating from the epithelial lining of the upper aerodigestive tract, including the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and salivary glands. Although lymphomas affecting this region are not conventionally classified as HNCs, they may occur in lymph nodes or mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues within the head and neck. Oncogenic viruses play a crucial role in HNC onset. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is extensively studied for its association with oropharyngeal cancers; nevertheless, other oncogenic viruses also contribute to HNC development. This review provides an overview of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and advancements in detection methods of oncogenic viruses associated with HNCs, recognizing HPV's well-established role while exploring additional viral connections. Notably, Epstein-Barr virus is linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma and lymphomas. Human herpesvirus 8 is implicated in Kaposi's sarcoma, and Merkel cell polyomavirus is associated with subsets of HNCs. Additionally, hepatitis viruses are examined for their potential association with HNCs. Understanding the viral contributions in the head and neck area is critical for refining therapeutic approaches. This review underlines the interaction between viruses and malignancies in this region, highlighting the necessity for ongoing research to elucidate additional mechanisms and enhance clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinelopi Samara
- Children’s Oncology, Unit Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Michail Athanasopoulos
- Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (M.A.); (N.S.M.)
| | | | - Efthymios Kyrodimos
- 1st Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hippocration Hospital, University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
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Ahmadi Ghezeldasht S, Mosavat A, Rezaee SA. Novel insights into human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) pathogenesis-host interactions in the manifestation of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. Rev Med Virol 2024; 34:e2567. [PMID: 38937135 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) was the first discovered human oncogenic retrovirus, the etiological agent of two serious diseases have been identified as adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma malignancy and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), a debilitating chronic neuro-myelopathy. Despite more than 40 years of molecular, histopathological and immunological studies on HTLV-1-associated diseases, the virulence and pathogenicity of this virus are yet to be clarified. The reason why the majority of HTLV-1-infected individuals (∼95%) remain asymptomatic carriers is still unclear. The deterioration of the immune system towards oncogenicity and autoimmunity makes HTLV-1 a natural probe for the study of malignancy and neuro-inflammatory diseases. Additionally, its slow worldwide spreading has prompted public health authorities and researchers, as urged by the WHO, to focus on eradicating HTLV-1. In contrast, neither an effective therapy nor a protective vaccine has been introduced. This comprehensive review focused on the most relevant studies of the neuro-inflammatory propensity of HTLV-1-induced HAM/TSP. Such an emphasis on the virus-host interactions in the HAM/TSP pathogenesis will be critically discussed epigenetically. The findings may shed light on future research venues in designing and developing proper HTLV-1 therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Ahmadi Ghezeldasht
- Blood Borne Infections Research Center, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Razavi Khorasan, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Arman Mosavat
- Blood Borne Infections Research Center, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Razavi Khorasan, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Seyed Abdolrahim Rezaee
- Inflammation and Inflammatory Diseases Division, Immunology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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3
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Ye R, Wang A, Bu B, Luo P, Deng W, Zhang X, Yin S. Viral oncogenes, viruses, and cancer: a third-generation sequencing perspective on viral integration into the human genome. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1333812. [PMID: 38188304 PMCID: PMC10768168 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1333812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The link between viruses and cancer has intrigued scientists for decades. Certain viruses have been shown to be vital in the development of various cancers by integrating viral DNA into the host genome and activating viral oncogenes. These viruses include the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Hepatitis B and C Viruses (HBV and HCV), Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), and Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus (HTLV-1), which are all linked to the development of a myriad of human cancers. Third-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized our ability to study viral integration events at unprecedented resolution in recent years. They offer long sequencing capabilities along with the ability to map viral integration sites, assess host gene expression, and track clonal evolution in cancer cells. Recently, researchers have been exploring the application of Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) nanopore sequencing and Pacific BioSciences (PacBio) single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing in cancer research. As viral integration is crucial to the development of cancer via viruses, third-generation sequencing would provide a novel approach to studying the relationship interlinking viral oncogenes, viruses, and cancer. This review article explores the molecular mechanisms underlying viral oncogenesis, the role of viruses in cancer development, and the impact of third-generation sequencing on our understanding of viral integration into the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruichen Ye
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Einstein Pathology Single-cell & Bioinformatics Laboratory, Bronx, NY, United States
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Angelina Wang
- Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Brady Bu
- Horace Mann School, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Pengxiang Luo
- Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenjun Deng
- Clinical Proteomics Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xinyi Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Shanye Yin
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Einstein Pathology Single-cell & Bioinformatics Laboratory, Bronx, NY, United States
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4
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Hu X, Logan JG, Kwon Y, Lima JAC, Jacobs DR, Duprez D, Brumback L, Taylor KD, Durda P, Johnson WC, Cornell E, Guo X, Liu Y, Tracy RP, Blackwell TW, Papanicolaou G, Mitchell GF, Rich SS, Rotter JI, Van Den Berg DJ, Chirinos JA, Hughes TM, Garrett-Bakelman FE, Manichaikul A. Multi-ancestry epigenome-wide analyses identify methylated sites associated with aortic augmentation index in TOPMed MESA. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17680. [PMID: 37848499 PMCID: PMC10582077 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44806-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the prognostic value of arterial stiffness (AS) and pulsatile hemodynamics (PH) for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, epigenetic modifications that contribute to AS/PH remain unknown. To gain a better understanding of the link between epigenetics (DNA methylation) and AS/PH, we examined the relationship of eight measures of AS/PH with CpG sites and co-methylated regions using multi-ancestry participants from Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) with sample sizes ranging from 438 to 874. Epigenome-wide association analysis identified one genome-wide significant CpG (cg20711926-CYP1B1) associated with aortic augmentation index (AIx). Follow-up analyses, including gene set enrichment analysis, expression quantitative trait methylation analysis, and functional enrichment analysis on differentially methylated positions and regions, further prioritized three CpGs and their annotated genes (cg23800023-ETS1, cg08426368-TGFB3, and cg17350632-HLA-DPB1) for AIx. Among these, ETS1 and TGFB3 have been previously prioritized as candidate genes. Furthermore, both ETS1 and HLA-DPB1 have significant tissue correlations between Whole Blood and Aorta in GTEx, which suggests ETS1 and HLA-DPB1 could be potential biomarkers in understanding pathophysiology of AS/PH. Overall, our findings support the possible role of epigenetic regulation via DNA methylation of specific genes associated with AIx as well as identifying potential targets for regulation of AS/PH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Hu
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Jeongok G Logan
- School of Nursing, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Younghoon Kwon
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joao A C Lima
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David R Jacobs
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Daniel Duprez
- Cardiovascular Division, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Lyndia Brumback
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kent D Taylor
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Peter Durda
- Laboratory for Clinical Biochemistry Research, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - W Craig Johnson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Elaine Cornell
- Laboratory for Clinical Biochemistry Research, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Xiuqing Guo
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Yongmei Liu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Russell P Tracy
- Laboratory for Clinical Biochemistry Research, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Thomas W Blackwell
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - George Papanicolaou
- Epidemiology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Stephen S Rich
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Jerome I Rotter
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - David J Van Den Berg
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julio A Chirinos
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Timothy M Hughes
- Department of Internal Medicine - Section of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, and Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Francine E Garrett-Bakelman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, 1340 Jefferson Park Ave., Pinn hall 6054, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
| | - Ani Manichaikul
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
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5
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Manichaikul A, Hu X, Logan J, Kwon Y, Lima J, Jacobs D, Duprez D, Brumback L, Taylor K, Durda P, Johnson C, Cornell E, Guo X, Liu Y, Tracy R, Blackwell T, Papanicolaou G, Mitchell G, Rich S, Rotter J, Van Den Berg D, Chirinos J, Hughes T, Garrett-Bakelman F. Multi-ancestry epigenome-wide analyses identify methylated sites associated with aortic augmentation index in TOPMed MESA. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3125948. [PMID: 37502922 PMCID: PMC10371087 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3125948/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Despite the prognostic value of arterial stiffness (AS) and pulsatile hemodynamics (PH) for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, epigenetic modifications that contribute to AS/PH remain unknown. To gain a better understanding of the link between epigenetics (DNA methylation) and AS/PH, we examined the relationship of eight measures of AS/PH with CpG sites and co-methylated regions using multi-ancestry participants from Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) with sample sizes ranging from 438 to 874. Epigenome-wide association analysis identified one genome-wide significant CpG (cg20711926-CYP1B1) associated with aortic augmentation index (AIx). Follow-up analyses, including gene set enrichment analysis, expression quantitative trait methylation analysis, and functional enrichment analysis on differentially methylated positions and regions, further prioritized three CpGs and their annotated genes (cg23800023-ETS1, cg08426368-TGFB3, and cg17350632-HLA-DPB1) for AIx. Among these, ETS1 and TGFB3 have been previously prioritized as candidate genes. Furthermore, both ETS1 and HLA-DPB1 have significant tissue correlations between Whole Blood and Aorta in GTEx, which suggests ETS1 and HLA-DPB1 could be potential biomarkers in understanding pathophysiology of AS/PH. Overall, our findings support the possible role of epigenetic regulation via DNA methylation of specific genes associated with AIx as well as identifying potential targets for regulation of AS/PH.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kent Taylor
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Stephen Rich
- Center for Public Health Genomics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia
| | - Jerome Rotter
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
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Itabashi K, Miyazawa T, Uchimaru K. How Can We Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission of HTLV-1? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24086961. [PMID: 37108125 PMCID: PMC10138424 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24086961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The perception of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTlV-1) infection as a "silent disease" has recently given way to concern that its presence may be having a variety of effects. HTLV-1 is known to cause adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), an aggressive cancer of peripheral CD4 T cells; however, it is also responsible for HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Most patients develop ATL as a result of HTLV-1 mother-to-child transmission. The primary route of mother-to-child transmission is through the mother's milk. In the absence of effective drug therapy, total artificial nutrition such as exclusive formula feeding is a reliable means of preventing mother-to-child transmission after birth, except for a small percentage of prenatal infections. A recent study found that the rate of mother-to-child transmission with short-term breastfeeding (within 90 days) did not exceed that of total artificial nutrition. Because these preventive measures are in exchange for the benefits of breastfeeding, clinical applications of antiretroviral drugs and immunotherapy with vaccines and neutralizing antibodies are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuo Itabashi
- Aiseikai-Memorial Ibaraki Welfare and Medical Center, Ibaraki 3100836, Japan
| | - Tokuo Miyazawa
- Department of Pediatrics, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo 1428666, Japan
| | - Kaoru Uchimaru
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Research Hospital, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 1088639, Japan
- Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 1088639, Japan
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Severe mitral regurgitation in chronic adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma with granulomatous valvular inflammation. J Cardiol Cases 2022; 27:137-140. [PMID: 37012923 PMCID: PMC10066408 DOI: 10.1016/j.jccase.2022.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a mature peripheral T-cell neoplasm caused by human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1) infection. Besides the oncogenic property, HTLV-1 causes HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis and certain inflammatory diseases via a complex host immune response to latent virus infection. Cardiac involvement of ATLL is rare, with the majority of cases being disclosed in postmortem autopsy in patients with advanced subtypes. We herein report the case of a 64-year-old female patient with indolent chronic ATLL with severe mitral regurgitation. Although the condition of ATLL was stable, dyspnea on exertion gradually progressed over the course of three years and echocardiography revealed marked thickening of the mitral valve. Finally, the patient experienced hemodynamic collapse with atrial fibrillation and underwent surgical valve replacement. The removed mitral valve was grossly edematous and swollen. A histological examination revealed a granulomatous reaction mimicking the active phase of rheumatic valvulitis, with the infiltration of ATLL cells that were immunohistochemically positive for CD3, CD4, FoxP3, HLA-DRα, and CCR4. The postoperative course was uneventful, with the exception that Sjögren's syndrome was noted. The history of rheumatic fever was unclear, and such unique valvular pathology was presumably related to autoimmune mechanisms associated with HTLV-1 infection. Learning objective We report a case of chronic adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) with isolated valvular infiltration with a unique histology of granulomatous reaction. Human T-cell leukemia virus type I infection may accelerate autoimmune reactions and cardiac inflammation, irrespective of indolent clinical subtype. Among ATLL cases, possible progression of valvular insufficiency and heart failure in patients with cardiac symptoms should be carefully evaluated.
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Kuehnle N, Gottwein E. Druggable host gene dependencies in primary effusion lymphoma. Curr Opin Virol 2022; 56:101270. [PMID: 36182745 PMCID: PMC10043043 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2022.101270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) causes primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). Here, we review what is known about human gene essentiality in PEL-derived cell lines. We provide an updated list of PEL-specific human gene dependencies, based on the improved definition of core essential genes across human cancer types. The requirements of PEL cell lines for interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4), basic leukine zipper ATF-like transcription factor (BATF), G1/S cyclin D2 (CCND2), CASP8 and FADD like apoptosis regulator (CFLAR), MCL1 apoptosis regulator (MCL1), and murine double minute 2 (MDM2) have been confirmed experimentally. KSHV co-opts IRF4 and BATF to drive superenhancer (SE)-mediated expression of IRF4 itself, MYC, and CCND2. IRF4 dependency of SE-mediated gene expression is shared with Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) and human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-transformed adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) cell lines, as well as several B-cell lymphomas of nonviral etiology. LCLs and ATLL cell lines similarly share dependencies on CCND2 and CFLAR with PEL, but also have distinct gene dependencies. Genetic dependencies could be exploited for therapeutic intervention in PEL and other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Kuehnle
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Eva Gottwein
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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Viral Agents as Potential Drivers of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Tumorigenesis. Viruses 2022; 14:v14102105. [DOI: 10.3390/v14102105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Among numerous causative agents recognized as oncogenic drivers, 13% of total cancer cases occur as a result of viral infections. The intricacy and diversity of carcinogenic processes, however, raise significant concerns about the mechanistic function of viruses in cancer. All tumor-associated viruses have been shown to encode viral oncogenes with a potential for cell transformation and the development of malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Given the difficulties in identifying single mechanistic explanations, it is necessary to combine ideas from systems biology and viral evolution to comprehend the processes driving viral cancer. The potential for more efficient and acceptable therapies lies in targeted medicines that aim at viral proteins or trigger immune responses to either avoid infection or eliminate infected or cancerous cells. In this review, we aim to describe the role of viral infections and their mechanistic approaches in DLBCL tumorigenesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review summarizing the oncogenic potential of numerous viral agents in DLBCL development.
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Nakano K, Watanabe T. Tuning Rex rules HTLV-1 pathogenesis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:959962. [PMID: 36189216 PMCID: PMC9523361 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.959962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
HTLV-1 is an oncovirus causing ATL and other inflammatory diseases such as HAM/TSP and HU in about 5% of infected individuals. It is also known that HTLV-1-infected cells maintain a disease-free, immortalized, latent state throughout the lifetimes of about 95% of infected individuals. We believe that the stable maintenance of disease-free infected cells in the carrier is an intrinsic characteristic of HTLV-1 that has been acquired during its evolution in the human life cycle. We speculate that the pathogenesis of the virus is ruled by the orchestrated functions of viral proteins. In particular, the regulation of Rex, the conductor of viral replication rate, is expected to be closely related to the viral program in the early active viral replication followed by the stable latency in HTLV-1 infected T cells. HTLV-1 and HIV-1 belong to the family Retroviridae and share the same tropism, e.g., human CD4+ T cells. These viruses show significant similarities in the viral genomic structure and the molecular mechanism of the replication cycle. However, HTLV-1 and HIV-1 infected T cells show different phenotypes, especially in the level of virion production. We speculate that how the activity of HTLV-1 Rex and its counterpart HIV-1 Rev are regulated may be closely related to the properties of respective infected T cells. In this review, we compare various pathological aspects of HTLV-1 and HIV-1. In particular, we investigated the presence or absence of a virally encoded “regulatory valve” for HTLV-1 Rex or HIV-1 Rev to explore its importance in the regulation of viral particle production in infected T cells. Finally, wereaffirm Rex as the key conductor for viral replication and viral pathogenesis based on our recent study on the novel functional aspects of Rex. Since the activity of Rex is closely related to the viral replication rate, we hypothesize that the “regulatory valve” on the Rex activity may have been selectively evolved to achieve the “scenario” with early viral particle production and the subsequent long, stable deep latency in HTLV-1 infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazumi Nakano
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Kazumi Nakano,
| | - Toshiki Watanabe
- Department of Practical Management of Medical Information, Graduate School of Medicine, St. Marianna University, Kawasaki, Japan
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Tram J, Mesnard JM, Peloponese JM. Alternative RNA splicing in cancer: what about adult T-cell leukemia? Front Immunol 2022; 13:959382. [PMID: 35979354 PMCID: PMC9376482 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.959382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells employ a broad range of mechanisms to regulate gene expression. Among others, mRNA alternative splicing is a key process. It consists of introns removal from an immature mRNA (pre-mRNA) via a transesterification reaction to create a mature mRNA molecule. Large-scale genomic studies have shown that in the human genome, almost 95% of protein-encoding genes go through alternative splicing and produce transcripts with different exons combinations (and sometimes retained introns), thus increasing the proteome diversity. Considering the importance of RNA regulation in cellular proliferation, survival, and differentiation, alterations in the alternative splicing pathway have been linked to several human cancers, including adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). ATL is an aggressive and fatal malignancy caused by the Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). HTLV-1 genome encodes for two oncoproteins: Tax and HBZ, both playing significant roles in the transformation of infected cells and ATL onset. Here, we review current knowledge on alternative splicing and its link to cancers and reflect on how dysregulation of this pathway could participate in HTLV-1-induced cellular transformation and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma development.
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