Cells in human tonsil are probably targets of cancer causing herpesvirus KSHV

AIDS patients, organ transplant weakened immune system are particularly vulnerable to a group of deadly cancer caused by the Human herpes virus KSHV receiver and other conditions or causes Kaposi Sarcoma associated Herpes virus. So far, have scientists known very little about how this virus penetrates, and accesses the body at the cellular level - information, important in their ability to treat and prevent that such deadly cancer as Kaposi's Sarcoma, which is named the virus.

A groundbreaking study by University of Virginia School of Medicine offers researchers now strong evidence that the KSHV virus invades the body through human saliva, and in the background of a certain type of B cell found infected in tonsil. Published their findings in the February issue of the journal clinical investigation (JCI) and as an "Editor's pick," could help scientists the spread of the virus within an individual, and between people, and so the early start to block cancer.

Multicentric Castleman disease (MCD) and primary effusion Lymphoma (PEL) cause KSHV in addition to Kaposi's Sarcoma, which is the most common type of cancer in AIDS patients is around the world, also known. Current treatments extend survival for a few years at best.

"Despite the immense morbidity and mortality in these three KSHV-associated tumors that exact type of cells, the KSHV infected if people with her first come into contact remains elusive", says Dean Kedes, Associate Professor of Microbiology and medicine in the UVA School of medicine and senior author of the study. Research was carried out in the UVA Myles Thaler Center for AIDS and human retrovirus research.

These cells produce the subtype of human B cells that Kedes research team determines the destination for KSHV is lambda B cells, with the name for the particular type of antibody known as IgM.

UVA investigators further shown that KSHV infection of the IgM lambda cells leads to profound changes in the appearance and behavior of cells - characteristics that exactly which of tumour cells in patients with cancer KSHV-related are similar.

"These results provide the first evidence that this could represent the earliest precursors to this human cancers tonsillar cells," says Kedes.

"These early results are ground-breaking," Kedes points out. "However, only one of 20 or 25 of the IgM lambda B cells seems prone to KSHV infection be." "The next step in our research are the a cell type viral determine around the molecular properties, make vulnerable and other similar cell types appear relatively stable."

By fully understanding these processes of infection on a detailed molecular level of Kedes and his team are hoping one or more potential weaknesses in the viral way to identify, which could be especially susceptible to therapeutic intervention.

"Although the immediate impact of research results that will have greatest impact on KSHV infected patients with weak immune systems, our future research holds promise in providing new insights into general human B-cell biology and other viral and non-viral B cell tumors."

Kedes study, "KSHV a subset of human tonsillar B cells, infected drive proliferation and Plasmablast differentiation," was also in JCI's March 2011Commentary, "unraveling virus induced Lymphomagenesis," featured as one of three major recent studies that have contributed significantly to the field for the body of the basic research of KSHV infection of B cells and its role in the development of lymphoma.

Source:
University of Virginia health system