[Replication Machinery of Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus and Drug Discovery Research].

[Replication Machinery of Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus and Drug Discovery Research]. Yakugaku Zasshi. 2019;139(1):69-73 Authors: Watanabe T, Fujimuro M Abstract Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the causative agent of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and Castleman's disease. While liposomal doxorubicin has been used as an effective treatment for KS patients, the cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) regimen used for PEL patients was reported to have 1-year survival rates of less than 40%. Moreover, the development of anti-KSHV drugs inhibiting viral replication has been delayed. KSHV establishes a lifelong infection in its host and alternates between a "latent infection" and "lytic infection" state. Latent infection is associated with maintenance of the viral genome and transformation of the infected cells. Lytic infection is the process of producing infectious virus. Elucidating the KSHV life cycle and viral replication machinery is essential for developing novel therapeutic approaches and identifying potential drug targets. To tackle these issues, we have been screening for anti-PEL compounds using PEL-derived cell lines and utilizing recombinant KSHV for functional analysis of KSHV coding genes. In particular, we have focused on the "viral pre-initiation complex" of KSHV and determined its molecular mechanism. The coding proteins conserved among β- and ...
Source: Yakugaku Zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: Yakugaku Zasshi Source Type: research