Researchers at the University of Reading have contributed to a study that could lead to new treatments for a deadly cancer caused by a herpesvirus. The study, in , found that a protein called Kv1.3 acts as a crucial "doorway" allowing Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) to replicate and spread.
KSHV causes Kaposi's sarcoma, a cancer that commonly affects people with weakened immune systems, including those with HIV/AIDS. Dr. Mark Dallas from the University of Reading's School of Pharmacy was part of the international team that made the discovery.
The research was led by Professor Adrian Whitehouse at the University of Leeds. "Imagine Kv1.3 as a gateway into the cell that KSHV uses to override our body's defenses," explained Dr.
Dallas. "By understanding how this cellular doorway works, we've uncovered a potential new way to lock out the and prevent cancer development." The researchers found that Kv1.
3 acts like a cellular "dimmer switch," adjusting the electrical charge across cell membranes. KSHV hijacks this mechanism, using it to create an environment that's ideal for virus replication while simultaneously dampening the 's alarm bells. "It's as if KSHV is turning down the lights and suppressing the cell's alarm system," said Dr.
Dallas. "This allows the virus to replicate unchecked, giving it a head start before the immune system realizes there's an intruder." By blocking Kv1.
3, the team significantly reduced KSHV's ability to replicate in . This suggests that d.