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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

adult T cell, Leukemia, lymphoma, HTLV-1, infected humanized mice

College

Life Sciences

Department

Microbiology and Molecular Biology

Abstract

Human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) is a virus that is linked to Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), causing cancer in T cells. There are an estimated 10-20 million people worldwide infected with HTLV-1. HTLV-1 is transmitted through contact of bodily fluid and usually occurs through breastfeeding, sexual transmission, and sharing needles. ATLL develops in only about 5% of infected persons after decades of infection. An ATLL diagnosis is grim as there is no cure, and most patients do not respond or only have a limited response to treatments. Current treatments include antiretrovirals or chemotherapy, but there has been little to no research in developing a specific treatment for HTLV-1 induced ATLL other than in clinical trials of terminally ill patients. This project studied the development of cancer from HTLV-1 infection. The purpose of this project was to develop a viable animal model to mirror the infection of HTLV-1 and cancer development of humans in humanized mice.

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