Abstract
Patients suffering from the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) have a 20000-fold increased risk of developing a severe form of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), a previously rare malignancy involving sharply defined nodular lesions of the skin and/or oral mucosa. Epidemiological evidence has long suggested that an infectious agent is the probable cause of KS. Recently sequences from a putative new herpesvirus have been found to be associated with KS in virtually 100% of the cases analyzed. The suspected etiological agent, a new human herpesvirus termed Kaposi’s sarcoma associated herpes virus (human herpes virus 8) has now been propagated in cell culture. This significant advance should form the basis for a detailed analysis of the pathogenetic mechanisms involved in the development of KS.
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Received: 4 June 1996 / Accepted: 5 August 1996
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Schatz, O., Bogner, J. & Goebel, FD. Kaposi’s sarcoma: is the hunt for the culprit over now?. J Mol Med 75, 28–34 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s001090050083
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s001090050083