Oncovirus

Human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV), a group of retroviruses belonging to the oncovirus family, has long been associated with various inflammatory and immunosuppressive disorders. At present, there is no approved vaccine capable of effectively combating all the highly pathogenic strains of HTLV that makes this group of viruses a potential threat to human health. To combat the devastating impact of any potential future outbreak caused by this virus group, our study employed a reverse vaccinology approach to design a novel polyvalent vaccine targeting the highly virulent subtypes of HTLV...

There is an urgent need to find an effective therapy for life-threatening HTLV-1-associated diseases. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is considered a traditional herb with antiviral and anticancer properties and was tested in this study on HTLV-1 infectivity. GC-MS analyzed the alcoholic extract. In vitro assay was carried out using transfection of HUVEC cells by HTLV-1-MT2 cell line. The cells were exposed to alcoholic and aqueous extracts at 5,10, and 20 µg/mL concentrations. In vivo, mice were divided into four groups...

Viruses have the ability to modulate the cellular machinery of their host to ensure their survival. While humans encounter numerous viruses daily, only a select few can lead to disease progression. Some of these viruses can amplify cancer-related traits, particularly when coupled with factors like immunosuppression and co-carcinogens. The global burden of cancer development resulting from viral infections is approximately 12%, and it arises as an unfortunate consequence of persistent infections that cause chronic inflammation, genomic instability from viral genome integration, and dysregulation of tumor suppressor genes and host oncogenes involved in normal cell growth...

Human viral oncogenesis is a complex phenomenon and a major contributor to the global cancer burden. Several recent findings revealed cellular and molecular pathways that promote the development and initiation of malignancy when viruses cause an infection. Even, antiviral treatment has become an approach to eliminate the viral infections and prevent the activation of oncogenesis. Therefore, for a better understanding, the molecular pathogenesis of various oncogenic viruses like, hepatitis virus, human immunodeficiency viral (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), could be explored, especially, to expand many potent antivirals that may escalate the apoptosis of infected malignant cells while sparing normal and healthy ones...

BACKGROUND: The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a prevalent oncovirus associated with a variety of human illnesses. BGLF5, an EBV DNase with alkaline nuclease (AN) activity, plays important roles in the viral life cycle and progression of human malignancies and has been suggested as a possible diagnostic marker and target for cancer therapy. Methods used conventionally for the detection of AN activity, radioactivity-based nuclease activity assay and DNA digestion detection by gel electrophoresis, are not suitable for screening AN inhibitors; the former approach is unsafe, and the latter is complicated...

Epstein‑Barr virus (EBV) is an oncovirus associated with various neoplasms, including breast cancer (BC). EBV‑associated oncogenesis requires the action of several viral molecules, such as EBV nuclear antigen 3C, latent membrane protein 1, microRNAs and long non‑coding RNAs, which are able of manipulating the cellular machinery, inducing an evasion of the immune system, blocking apoptosis processes, promoting cell survival and metastasis. The risk of developing cancer is associated with epigenetic alterations and alterations in various signaling pathways...

Oral cancer is a neoplastic disorder of the oral cavities, including the lips, tongue, buccal mucosa, and lower and upper gums. Oral cancer assessment entails a multistep process that requires deep knowledge of the molecular networks involved in its progression and development. Preventive measures including public awareness of risk factors and improving public behaviors are necessary, and screening techniques should be encouraged to enable early detection of malignant lesions. Herpes simplex virus (HSV), human papillomavirus (HPV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) are associated with other premalignant and carcinogenic conditions leading to oral cancer...

High-risk Human Papillomaviruses (HPVs) and Epstein - Barr virus (EBV) are present and involved in several types of human carcinomas, including cervical and, head and neck cancers. Nevertheless, their presence and association in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer is still nascent. The current study explored the association between the high-risk HPVs and EBV and tumor phenotype in colorectal cancers (CRCs) in the Qatari population. We found that high-risk HPVs and EBV are present in 69/100 and 21/100 cases, respectively...

Tweetable abstract Panantiviral agents have emerged as a promising class of drugs for cancer therapy, targeting multiple oncoviruses simultaneously. Challenges include drug resistance, safety and developing specific inhibitors. Future research should focus on viral transcription regulators and new panantivirals. #cancer #oncovirus #panantiviral #drugresistance.

Enveloped viruses undergo a complex multistep process of assembly, maturation, and release into the extracellular space utilizing host secretory machinery. Several studies of the herpesvirus subfamily have shown that secretory vesicles derived from the trans -Golgi network (TGN) or endosomes transport virions into the extracellular space. However, the regulatory mechanism underlying the release of Epstein-Barr virus, a human oncovirus, remains unclear. We demonstrate that disruption of BBLF1, a tegument component, suppressed viral release and resulted in the accumulation of viral particles on the inner side of the vesicular membrane...

Some viruses are known to be associated with the onset of specific cancers. These microorganisms, oncogenic viruses or oncoviruses, can convert normal cells into cancer cells by modulating the central metabolic pathways or hampering genomic integrity mechanisms, consequently inhibiting the apoptotic machinery and/or enhancing cell proliferation. Seven oncogenic viruses are known to promote tumorigenesis in humans: human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV, HCV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human T-cell leukemia virus 1 (HTLV-1), Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV)...

Immediately after entry into host cells, viruses are sensed by the innate immune system, leading to the activation of innate antiviral effector mechanisms including the type I interferon (IFN) response and natural killer (NK) cells. This innate immune response helps to shape an effective adaptive T cell immune response mediated by cytotoxic T cells and CD4+ T helper cells and is also critical for the maintenance of protective T cells during chronic infection. The human gammaherpesvirus Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a highly prevalent lymphotropic oncovirus that establishes chronic lifelong infections in the vast majority of the adult population...

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a prevalent human gamma-herpesvirus that infects the majority of the adult population worldwide and is associated with several lymphoid and epithelial malignancies. EBV displays a biphasic life cycle, namely, latent and lytic replication cycles, expressing a diversity of viral proteins. Among the EBV proteins being expressed during both latent and lytic cycles, the oncogenic roles of EBV lytic proteins are largely uncharacterized. In this review, the established contributions of EBV lytic proteins in tumorigenesis are summarized according to the cancer hallmarks displayed...

BACKGROUND: Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL) is a rapidly progressing type of T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is developed after the infection by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). It could be categorized into four major subtypes, acute, lymphoma, chronic, and smoldering. These different subtypes have some shared clinical manifestations, and there are no trustworthy biomarkers for diagnosis of them. METHODS: We applied weighted-gene co-expression network analysis to find the potential gene and miRNA biomarkers for various ATLL subtypes...

Oral microbiome studies have mainly focussed on bacteria, with the relationship between viruses and oral cancers remaining poorly understood. Oral cancers can develop even in the absence of any history of daily smoking or drinking. Oral cancer patients frequently have multiple primary cancers in the oral cavity and other organs, such as the upper gastrointestinal tract. Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is a novel oncovirus identified from a subtype of skin cancer in 2008. In this study, we investigated the potential involvement of MCPyV in the pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)...

A small percentage of bladder cancers in the general population have been found to harbor DNA viruses. In contrast, up to 25% of tumors of solid organ transplant recipients, who are at an increased risk of developing bladder cancer and have overall poorer outcome, harbor BK polyomavirus (BKPyV). To better understand the biology of the tumors and the mechanisms of carcinogenesis from potential oncoviruses, we performed whole genome and transcriptome sequencing on bladder cancer specimens from 43 transplant patients...

Among human tumorigenic viruses, the role of Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been proven as one of the most important oncoviruses that are associated with a large number of cancers. Most cancers of the genital area such cervical and anal cancer as are caused by HPV, and in many other cancers, such as colorectal, gastric, liver, esophageal, urinary bladder, and head and neck cancers, it is considered as one of the important risk factors. Our search was conducted for published researches between 2000 and 2022 by using several international databases including Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science as well as Google scholar...

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) seriously compromises the health and welfare of affected horses. Although robust evidence points to equine papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) causing genital lesions, the etiopathogenesis of equine SCC is still poorly understood. We screened a series of SCCs from the head-and-neck (HN), (peri-)ocular and genital region, and site-matched controls for the presence of EcPV2-5 and herpesvirus DNA using type-specific EcPV PCR, and consensus nested herpesvirus PCR followed by sequencing. EcPV2 DNA was detected in 45...

(1) Background: Untargeted mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic analysis is highly amenable to automation. Software algorithms translate raw spectral data into protein information obtained by a comparison to sequence databases. However, the technology has limitations, especially for analytes measured at the limit of detection. In a protein expression study of human gastric biopsies, the question arose whether or not it is possible, as well as sensible, to search for viral proteins in addition to those from the human host...

Gene editing, especially with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9), has advanced gene function science. Gene editing's rapid advancement has increased its medical/clinical value. Due to its great specificity and efficiency, CRISPR/Cas9 can accurately and swiftly screen the whole genome. This simplifies disease-specific gene therapy. To study tumor origins, development, and metastasis, CRISPR/Cas9 can change genomes. In recent years, tumor treatment research has increasingly employed this method...