Solve a puzzling and delightful mystery: the mystery of rare cancers directly caused by HIV

A team led by scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced today in the journal Science Advances that they have discovered why doctors have not found T-cell lymphoma (or immune system cancer) in HIV-infected people.

"We seem to have explained why HIV is rarely the direct cause of cancer," said Dr.

When the HIV virus enters the human body, it finds the T cell and inserts its genetic sequence-called the "protovirus"-into the cell's DNA

Previous research by the National Cancer Institute found that proviruses can insert into the genetic code of T cells, prompting these infected cells to grow into large, non-cancerous clones of themselves.

These previous discoveries led to a paradox: If HIV can integrate into T cell oncogenes (genes related to normal cell division, once mutated, it will cause cancer cells to grow), shouldn't it also cause lymphoma?

To answer this question, the research team took samples from 13 HIV patients with lymphoma and singled out three patients with high levels of HIV provirus, indicating that the virus may be related to the formation of cancer

Then, they checked the samples to understand where the provirus inserted into the T cell DNA

"This is a complex, multi-step process that requires a rare event-inserting the STAT3 or STAT3 and LCK genes in the correct position-to begin," said Mellors, who is also the director of UPMC's infectious diseases department

Thanks to advances in medicine and care, people living with HIV have extended their lifespan, and mutations in their host genes have accumulated longer

Journal Reference :

1. John W.