Mechanisms of leukemogenesis induced by bovine leukemia virus: prospects for novel anti-retroviral therapies in human

• Published in: Retrovirology 2007-03, Vol.4 (1), p.18-18, Article 18
• Main Authors: Gillet, Nicolas, Florins, Arnaud, Boxus, Mathieu, Burteau, Catherine, Nigro, Annamaria, Vandermeers, Fabian, Balon, Hervé, Bouzar, Amel-Baya, Defoiche, Julien, Burny, Arsène, Reichert, Michal, Kettmann, Richard, Willems, Luc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Retroviral Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Retroviral Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-Retroviral Agents/pharmacology/therapeutic use; B-Lymphocytes - pathology; B-Lymphocytes - physiology; B-Lymphocytes - virology; B-Lymphocytes/pathology/physiology/virology; Bovine leukemia virus; Cattle; Cytokines - metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Enzootic Bovine Leukosis - drug therapy; Enzootic Bovine Leukosis - physiopathology; Enzootic Bovine Leukosis - virology; Enzootic Bovine Leukosis/drug therapy/physiopathology/virology; Human T-lymphotropic virus; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 - pathogenicity; Humans; Leukemia Virus, Bovine - genetics; Leukemia Virus, Bovine - metabolism; Leukemia Virus, Bovine - pathogenicity; Leukemia Virus, Bovine/genetics/metabolism/pathogenicity; Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell - drug therapy; Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell - physiopathology; Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell/drug therapy/physiopathology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - pathology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - physiology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - virology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/pathology/physiology/virology; Life sciences; Médecine vétérinaire & santé animale; Review; Sciences du vivant; Sheep; Sheep Diseases - drug therapy; Sheep Diseases - immunology; Sheep Diseases - physiopathology; Sheep Diseases - virology; Sheep Diseases/drug therapy/immunology/physiopathology/virology; Veterinary medicine & animal health; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - metabolism; Viral Proteins/genetics/metabolism
• ISSN: 1742-4690; 1742-4690
• DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-4-18

In 1871, the observation of yellowish nodules in the enlarged spleen of a cow was considered to be the first reported case of bovine leukemia. The etiological agent of this lymphoproliferative disease, bovine leukemia virus (BLV), belongs to the deltaretrovirus genus which also includes the related human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). This review summarizes current knowledge of this viral system, which is important as a model for leukemogenesis. Recently, the BLV model has also cast light onto novel prospects for therapies of HTLV induced diseases, for which no satisfactory treatment exists so far.