ANTIVIRAL DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERNS IN GAMMARETROVIRIDAE: LESSONS FROM XMRV AND RELATED RETROVIRUSES

摘要

Cammaretroviruses include several well-characterized, exogenous mammalian retroviruses that cause cancer and other diseases following infection of susceptible hosts. Recent reports of a newly discovered gammaretrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), in patients with prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have fueled a renewed interest in the susceptibility of gamma-retroviruses to antiretroviral inhibitors. Although evidence linking XMRV infection to human disease is currently insufficient to support the use of antiretrovirals in prostate cancer or CFS patients, studies of XMRV have complemented a large body of historical literature describing the antiviral drug sensitivities of gammaretroviruses from diverse mammalian hosts. This review summarizes the available drug susceptibility data for gammaretroviruses, including XMRV, murine leukemia virus (MLV), murine sarcoma virus (MSV), feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV). Collectively, these findings reveal patterns of drug sensitivity that are shared by members of the genus gammaretroviridae and suggest strategies for preventing or treating gammaretroviral infections in humans should the need arise.