New human retrovirus.New human retrovirus retrovirus, type of RNA virus that, unlike other RNA viruses, reproduces by transcribing itself into DNA. An enzyme called reverse transcriptase allows a retrovirus's RNA to act as the template for this RNA-to-DNA transcription. Scientists have discovered another human retrovirus related to--but distinct from--those already associated with AIDS and certain cancers. Italian researchers at the University of Rome and the University of L'Aquila History On 11 October 1458 and again on 9 May 1464, the city of L'Aquila petitioned King Ferdinand of Aragon to open a Studium equivalent to those in Bologna, Siena and Perugia. found the virus in seven patients with a relatively rare form of lymphoma cancer called mycosis fungoides mycosis fun·goi·des n. A chronic progressive lymphoma arising in the skin and initially simulating an inflammatory dermatosis. Mycosis fungoides The most common type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. , after first isolating it from a cell line derived from another mycosis fungoides patient. Tentatively called HTLV-V in their report in the Dec. 11 SCIENCE, the virus joins other members of the HTLV HTLV n. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus; any of a group of lymphotropic retroviruses that have a selective affinity for certain T cells and are associated with adult T cell leukemia and lymphoma. One type, HTLV-III, causes AIDS. (human T-lymphotrophic viruses) retrovirus family, all identified since 1980. The previously described HTLV viruses include the AIDS virus AIDS virus n. See HIV. (HIV-1), as well as HTLV-I and HTLV-II, which apparently can cause some leukemias and lymphomas. A fourth HTLV virus, now known as HIV-2, is thought by researchers to also cause AIDS or an AIDS-like syndrome. The new virus differs from the other two "cancer' retroviruses in that the cancer cells from HTLV-V infected patients do not have two specific surface receptors found on cancer cells from patients infected with HTLV-I and -II, say the authors. They also report that the wife of one patient had antibodies against HTLV-V, suggesting possible sexual transmission of the virus. |
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