Scientists discover a key mechanism used by human herpesvirus 8 to induce cancer

Mar 1 2024Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered a key mechanism used by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus , also known as human herpesvirus 8 , to induce cancer. The research points to effective new treatment options for KSHV-associated cancers, including Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and HHV8-associated multicentric Castleman disease.

The team showed the virus activates a specific pathway driving cell metabolism and proliferation. Inhibiting this process with existing FDA-approved breast cancer drugs reduced KSHV replication, blocked lymphoma progression and shrunk existing tumors in preclinical models. KSHV-induced cancers are fast-acting, aggressive and difficult to treat. An estimated 10% of people in North America and Northern Europe have KSHV, but this ranges throughout the globe. More than 50% of individuals in parts of Northen Africa are estimated to have the virus. Experts estimate these rates are higher, as KSHV often goes undiagnosed because of lack of symptoms.

Rapidly replicating cancer cells reprogram metabolism to fuel growth. Meanwhile, most viruses cannot produce energy or necessary molecules on their own, so they rely on human cells to do the work for them. The team found that the virus takes over the host protein CDK6 and CAD, causing the infected cells to produce extra metabolites, which allows faster replication of the virus and an uncontrolled proliferation of the cells.

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