Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus: Biology of a Human Tumor Virus

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic pathogen that establishes life-long infection in humans and causes the development of Kaposi's sarcoma and different B-cell lymphomas in immunocompromised individuals. The life cycle of the virus is composed of two phases: latent and lytic. The transition between these two phases is orchestrated by the complex regulation of more than 90 genes encoded in the KSHV genome. The virus dedicates a large portion of its genome to encoding accessory genes that can modulate the immune system, signaling pathways, cell growth, and survival of the host, making KSHV an attractive model system to study different aspects of both cancer- and immunobiology.