title: The biology of EBV infection in human epithelial cells.
abstract: EBV-associated human malignancies may originate from B cells and epithelial cells. EBV readily infects B cells in vitro and transforms them into proliferative lymphoblastoid cell lines. In contrast, infection of human epithelial cells in vitro with EBV has been difficult to achieve. The lack of experimental human epithelial cell systems for EBV infection has hampered the understanding of biology of EBV infection in epithelial cells. The recent success to infect human epithelial cells with EBV in vitro has allowed systematic investigations into routes of EBV entry, regulation of latent and lytic EBV infection, and persistence of EBV infection in infected epithelial cells. Understanding the biology of EBV infection in human epithelial cells will provide important insights to the role of EBV infection in the pathogenesis of EBV-associated epithelial malignancies including nasopharyngeal carcinoma and gastric carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR, China. gswtsao@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: Sai Wah
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: Chi Man
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Pei Shin
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Guitao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Honglin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kwok Wai
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*