DNA damage response confers a barrier for viral tumorigenesis

Kaposi’s sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human tumor virus and an etiological agent for Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). KSHV infection is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa where KS is nowadays the most common malignancy, due to widespread infection with KSHV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Importantly, KS also occurs in HIV-negative individuals. Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, have discovered that activation of the DNA damage response in the early stages of KS development functions as an anti-cancer barrier also in virus induced malignancies.