KSHV (HHV8) vaccine: promises and potential pitfalls for a new anti-cancer vaccine

Corey Casper; Lawrence Corey; Jeffrey I Cohen; Blossom Damania; Anne A Gershon; David C Kaslow; Laurie T Krug; Jeffrey Martin; Sam M Mbulaiteye; Edward S Mocarski; Patrick S Moore; Javier Gordon Ogembo; Warren Phipps; Denise Whitby; Charles Wood

doi:10.1038/s41541-022-00535-4

KSHV (HHV8) vaccine: promises and potential pitfalls for a new anti-cancer vaccine

NPJ Vaccines. 2022 Sep 20;7(1):108. doi: 10.1038/s41541-022-00535-4.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Ave. East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA, 98102, USA.
² Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
³ Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bldg. 50, Room 6134, 50 South Drive, MSC8007, Bethesda, MD, 20892-8007, USA.
⁴ Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center & Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, US.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY10032, US.
⁶ PATH Essential Medicines, PATH, 2201 Westlake Avenue, Suite 200, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁷ HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
⁸ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
⁹ Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, HHS, 9609 Medical Center Dr, Rm. 6E118 MSC 3330, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
¹⁰ Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
¹¹ Cancer Virology Program, Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA. psm9@pitt.edu.
¹² Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
¹³ Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
¹⁴ AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
¹⁵ Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.

Abstract

Seven viruses cause at least 15% of the total cancer burden. Viral cancers have been described as the "low-hanging fruit" that can be potentially prevented or treated by new vaccines that would alter the course of global human cancer. Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV or HHV8) is the sole cause of Kaposi sarcoma, which primarily afflicts resource-poor and socially marginalized populations. This review summarizes a recent NIH-sponsored workshop's findings on the epidemiology and biology of KSHV as an overlooked but potentially vaccine-preventable infection. The unique epidemiology of this virus provides opportunities to prevent its cancers if an effective, inexpensive, and well-tolerated vaccine can be developed and delivered.

Publication types

Review

Abstract

Publication types

Grants and funding