Kaposi's Sarcoma–Associated Herpesvirus: A New DNA Tumor Virus

Kaposi's sarcoma–associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a newly identified gammaherpesvirus associated with all clinical forms of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), body-cavity–based, primary effusion lymphomas (PELs), and a subset of Castleman's disease (CD). Sequence analysis of the KSHV genome demonstrates an extensive array of genes with homology to cellular genes involved in cell cycle regulation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and immune modulation. Functional studies indicate that these genes may modify the host cell environment, contributing to the pathogenesis of KSHV-associated disorders. Several KSHV genes have been found to cause dysregulated cell proliferation or to interfere with established tumor suppressor pathways. The epidemiologic association of KSHV with malignancies and the coding features of its genome suggest that it is a new DNA tumor virus.