Abstract
Going back to their discovery in the early 1980s, both the Human T-cell Leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus type-1 (HIV-1) greatly fascinated the virology scene, not only because they were the first human retroviruses discovered, but also because they were associated with fatal diseases in the human population. In almost four decades of scientific research, both viruses have had different fates, HTLV-1 being often upstaged by HIV-1. However, although being very close in terms of genome organization, cellular tropism, and viral replication, HIV-1 and HTLV-1 are not completely commutable in terms of treatment, especially because of the opposite fate of the cells they infect: death versus immortalization, respectively. Nowadays, the antiretroviral therapies developed to treat HIV-1 infected individuals and to limit HIV-1 spread among the human population have a poor or no effect on HTLV-1 infected individuals, and thus, do not prevent the development of HTLV-1-associated diseases, which still lack highly efficient treatments. The present review mainly focuses on the course of HTLV-1 infection, from the initial infection of the host to diseases development and associated treatments, but also investigates HIV-1/HTLV-1 co-infection events and their impact on diseases development.
Highlights
Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type-1 (HTLV-1) was first described by Robert Gallo’s team in1980 [1,2], before the discovery of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type-1 (HIV-1) [3]
HTLV-1 infection may lead to the development of two main diseases: a malignant lymphoproliferation named Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL) and a chronic progressive myelopathy named Tropical Spastic Paraparesis/HTLV-1 Associated Myelopathy (TSP/HAM)
HIV-1 is the etiological agent of an Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) that appears in most chronically infected people, independently of their age at the onset of infection, and which is fatal in the absence of treatment
Summary
Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type-1 (HTLV-1) was first described by Robert Gallo’s team in. 37 million people are infected by HIV-1 worldwide, with the highest prevalence sites found in central- and South Africa [8], followed by the Caribbean region, Latin America, South-East Asia and Eastern Europe [9]. HTLV-1 infection may lead to the development of two main diseases: a malignant lymphoproliferation named Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL) and a chronic progressive myelopathy named Tropical Spastic Paraparesis/HTLV-1 Associated Myelopathy (TSP/HAM). HIV-1 is the etiological agent of an Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) that appears in most chronically infected people, independently of their age at the onset of infection, and which is fatal in the absence of treatment. This review will focus on the mechanisms of HTLV-1 viral transmission, HTLV-1-linked symptoms and their current treatments, drug development against HTLV-1 (summarized in Figure 1), and on HIV-1/HTLV-1 co-infection
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
