Reducing the global burden of HTLV-1 infection: An agenda for research and action - Université de Lyon
Journal Articles Antiviral Research Year : 2017

Reducing the global burden of HTLV-1 infection: An agenda for research and action

Luc Willems
  • Function : Correspondent author
  • PersonId : 1048401

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Antoine Gessain
Masao Matsuoka
Toshiki Watanabe
Yoshihisa Yamano

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.

Dates and versions

hal-02137848 , version 1 (23-05-2019)

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Luc Willems, Hideki Hasegawa, Roberto Accolla, Charles Bangham, Ali Bazarbachi, et al.. Reducing the global burden of HTLV-1 infection: An agenda for research and action. Antiviral Research, 2017, 137, pp.41-48. ⟨10.1016/j.antiviral.2016.10.015⟩. ⟨hal-02137848⟩
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