Reducing the global burden of HTLV-1 infection: an agenda for research and action
File(s)
Accepted version
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Even though an estimated 10-20 million people worldwide are infected with the oncogenic retrovirus, human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), its epidemiology is poorly understood, and little effort has been made to reduce its prevalence. In response to this situation, the Global Virus Network launched a taskforce in 2014 to develop new methods of prevention and treatment of HTLV-1 infection and promote basic research. HTLV-1 is the etiological agent of two life-threatening diseases, adult T-cell leukemia and HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, for which no effective therapy is currently available. Although the modes of transmission of HTLV-1 resemble those of the more familiar HIV-1, routine diagnostic methods are generally unavailable to support the prevention of new infections. In the present article, the Taskforce proposes a series of actions to expand epidemiological studies; increase research on mechanisms of HTLV-1 persistence, replication and pathogenesis; discover effective treatments; and develop prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines.
Date Issued
2016-11-11
Date Acceptance
2016-10-29
Citation
Antiviral Research, 2016, 137, pp.41-48
ISSN
1872-9096
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
41
End Page
48
Journal / Book Title
Antiviral Research
Volume
137
Copyright Statement
© 2016, Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Identifier
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27840202
PII: S0166-3542(16)30625-8
Subjects
HTLV-1
Leukemia
Oncogene
Retrovirus
Vaccine
Virology
1108 Medical Microbiology
1115 Pharmacology And Pharmaceutical Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Netherlands