Perspecitve Chapter: Modulation of Latent to Lytic Cycle Infection Switch and its Implication in EBV Mediated Tumorigenicity

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a lymphotropic herpesvirus termed human herpesvirus 4 (HHV4). It was initially identified in biopsies of Burkitt’s lymphoma, arising in the jaw and other site of the body in childhood or early adolescent individuals in sub-Saharan region. Subsequently, its tight association with other type of lymphomas has been described, and the tightest association has been seen in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), endemic with southeast Asia and southern part of China. The malignant transforming potential of EBV has been identified in immune compromised individuals; in the context all viral genomic products are expressed among which oncogenic proteins or non-coding RNAs are expressed. The interactions between cellular and viral oncoprotein as well as host gene expression regulation by the viral genetic products have been investigated in human tumors. The switch from latent form of infection to lytic phase has been studied in EBV-associated human tumors, and the modulation by intracellular signaling pathways has been known to be of importance in EBV-mediated carcinogenesis.