title: Drug targets in human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection.
abstract: Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), the first known human retrovirus, induces various human diseases with a long latency period. The mechanism by which the virus causes diseases is still unknown. Studies indicate that viral replication is important at least for the development of HTLV-1 associated myelopathy, and therefore treatments based on our knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) can be utilized to develop potent antiretroviral therapies targeting the replication enzymes reverse transcriptase, protease and integrase as well as the envelope glycoproteins. Furthermore, accessory gene products such as Tax and HBZ may also provide targets for chemotherapy. Treatment targeting these viral proteins may prevent the development of other HTLV-1-related diseases including adult T-cell leukemia, although such treatment may not be useful during the progression of the disease. This review describes the characteristics of HTLV-1 replication enzymes, envelope glycoproteins, and accessory proteins Tax and HBZ, and discusses the status of drug development strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Debrecen University, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Péter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boross
authors.forename: Péter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bagossi
authors.forename: Irene T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: József
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tözsér
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / Q000187:drug effects; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000737:chemistry; D016356:Gene Products, tax / Q000187:drug effects; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D019429:Integrase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019384:Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D016356:Gene Products, tax; D019429:Integrase Inhibitors; D019384:Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase