title: Does the HBZ gene represent a new potential target for the treatment of adult T-cell leukemia?
abstract: Links between human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 and adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) were first suspected in 1980. Provirus integration has since been found in all ATL cells. Although the viral Tax protein is involved in the proliferation of the infected cells during the preleukemic stage, Tax expression is not systematically detected in primary leukemic cells. Recent studies found that the viral HBZ gene was always expressed in leukemic cells, suggesting its involvement in the progression of the infected cells toward malignancy. How could this new discovery be translated into possible new avenues for the prevention or treatment of ATL?
authors.affiliation: Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barbeau
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mesnard
mesh_terms: D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D016356:Gene Products, tax / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016355:Genes, pX; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D016356:Gene Products, tax; C479751:HBZ protein, human T-cell leukemia virus type I; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins