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Review
. 2022 May 4:13:897346.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.897346. eCollection 2022.

The Past, Present, and Future of a Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Vaccine

Joshua J Tu  1 , Victoria Maksimova  1   2 , Lee Ratner  3 , Amanda R Panfil  1   2
Affiliations
Review

The Past, Present, and Future of a Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Vaccine

Joshua J Tu et al. Front Microbiol. .

Abstract

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is an oncogenic human retrovirus which causes a lifelong infection. An estimated 5-10 million persons are infected with HTLV-1 worldwide - a number which is likely higher due to lack of reliable epidemiological data. Most infected individuals remain asymptomatic; however, a portion of HTLV-1-positive individuals will develop an aggressive CD4+ T-cell malignancy called adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), or a progressive neurodegenerative disease known as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Few treatment options exist for HAM/TSP outside of palliative care and ATL carries an especially poor prognosis given the heterogeneity of the disease and lack of effective long-term treatments. In addition, the risk of HTLV-1 disease development increases substantially if the virus is acquired early in life. Currently, there is no realistic cure for HTLV-1 infection nor any reliable measure to prevent HTLV-1-mediated disease development. The severity of HTLV-1-associated diseases (ATL, HAM/TSP) and limited treatment options highlights the need for development of a preventative vaccine or new therapeutic interventions. This review will highlight past HTLV-1 vaccine development efforts, the current molecular tools and animal models which might be useful in vaccine development, and the future possibilities of an effective HTLV-1 vaccine.

Keywords: HTLV-1; envelope; glycoprotein; retrovirus; vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Schematic of the HTLV-1 proviral genome and envelope protein. Viral proteins Hbz, Tax, and Env are potential targets for a protective HTLV-1 vaccine. The viral gag, pro, pol, and env structural and enzymatic genes are flanked by 5′ and 3′ LTRs. The Hbz and Tax genes are located in the 3′ end of the viral genome. Hbz transcription initiates in the 3′ LTR. The envelope glycoprotein is comprised of two subunits, gp46 and gp21, which are cleaved at a furin cleavage site. Several potential glycosylation sites are denoted. Drawing is intended to be illustrative and not to exact scale.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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