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Molecular mechanisms of HTLV-1 infection and pathogenesis

  • Progress in Hematology
  • Memorial PIM: adult T-cell leukemia―from discovery to recent progress
  • Published:
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Abstract

Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is an etiological pathogen of several human diseases, including adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM)/tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP), and inflammatory disorders such as uveitis and dermatitis. HTLV-1 spreads mainly through cell-to-cell transmission, induces clonal proliferation of infected T cells in vivo, and after a long latent period, a subset of HTLV-1 carriers develop ATL. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of infection and oncogenesis is important for the development of new strategies of prophylaxis and molecular-targeted therapies, since ATL has a poor prognosis, despite intensive chemotherapy. In this review, we will summarize recent progress in HTLV-1 research, and especially novel findings on viral transmission and leukemogenic mechanisms by two viral oncogenes, HBZ and tax.

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  1. Laboratory of Virus Control, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan

    Junichiro Yasunaga & Masao Matsuoka

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  1. Junichiro Yasunaga
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  2. Masao Matsuoka
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Correspondence to Junichiro Yasunaga.

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Yasunaga, J., Matsuoka, M. Molecular mechanisms of HTLV-1 infection and pathogenesis. Int J Hematol 94, 435–442 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-011-0937-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-011-0937-1

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