KAPOSIS SARCOMA-ASSOCIATED HERPESVIRUS (KSHV) HUMAN-HERPESVIRUS-8 (HHV8) - A NEW HUMAN TUMOR-VIRUS

Recently, a novel DNA virus has been molecularly cloned from Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) tissue, a tumour common in acquired immune deficiency syn drome (AIDS). Analysis of the viral genome confirms that it is a relat ive of human herpesviruses and the virus has been designated HHV-8. Ep idemiological evidence suggests a strong aetiological link between the presence of HHV-8 DNA and/or antibodies against the virus, and KS. Ad ditional sequence analysis suggests that the HHV-8 genome contains seq uences which encode a D type cyclin and a number of other genes potent ially implicated in growth deregulation which may be relevant to its p roposed role as a transforming virus. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, L td.