Whats so interesting about KSHV?
Aside from its importance to various human diseases, KSHV turns out to be a fascinating virus. KS had been thought to be due to an infection for decades, but no one was able to successfully grow the “KS agent” directly from tumors. It was found by isolating its DNA directly from a KS tumor without growing the virus in the laboratory, and it represents one of a handful of new agents of human disease that have been discovered in this way. More importantly, it shows that there are likely to be other unknown viruses and bacteria causing chronic human diseases. One of the major triumphs of the molecular biology revolution was the development of tools allowing us to discover new agents this way. There are good reasons for scientists to have a keen interest in KSHV. Viruses in general have adapted over millions of years of evolution to insinuate themselves into the workings of the host cells they infect. Frequently viral proteins will very precisely bind to cellular proteins to alter the cell
