Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and mechanisms of oncogenesis

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV, also known as human herpesvirus 8), is well known to be responsible for Kaposi's sarcoma, the most common AIDS-related cancer. KSHV is also associated with the B cell malignancies primary effusion lymphoma and multicentric Castleman's disease. Cellular signaling pathways regulate the proliferation and differentiation during normal development and a small number of signaling pathways are involved in tumors. KSHV utilize those pathways, such as pRb-E2F, Wnt and Notch pathways, to promote driving of cell cycle and to regulate their own life-cycles (i.e., latency and lytic cycle). This review focuses on signaling pathways which KSHV gene products manipulate and discusses their contributions to tomorigenesis and regulation of viral life-cycles.