International Center for Research in Infectiology, Retroviral Oncogenesis Laboratory, INSERM U1111 - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Lyon, Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, Labex Ecofect
Fatah Kashanchi
Laboratory of Molecular Virology, George Mason University
Hélène Dutartre
International Center for Research in Infectiology, Retroviral Oncogenesis Laboratory, INSERM U1111 - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Lyon, Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, Labex Ecofect
Renaud Mahieux
International Center for Research in Infectiology, Retroviral Oncogenesis Laboratory, INSERM U1111 - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Lyon, Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, Labex Ecofect
Abstract Few years after HTLV-1 identification and isolation in humans, STLV-1, its simian counterpart, was discovered. It then became clear that STLV-1 is present almost in all simian species. Subsequent molecular epidemiology studies demonstrated that, apart from HTLV-1 subtype A, all human subtypes have a simian homolog. As HTLV-1, STLV-1 is the etiological agent of ATL, while no case of TSP/HAM has been described. Given its similarities with HTLV-1, STLV-1 represents a unique tool used for performing clinical studies, vaccine studies as well as basic science.
