Recent Advances in Development of Kaposi's Sarcoma‐Associated Herpesvirus‐Latency‐Associated Nuclear Antigen Targeted Therapies

Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV, also named as Human Herpesvirus 8, HHV-8) represents a principal causative agent of several cancers arising in patients with compromised immune systems. The latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA), encoded by KSHV ORF73, is required for replication, persistence, and gene transcription of the viral KSHV genome. Also, LANA functions contribute to KSHV-induced angiogenesis, oncogenesis, cell proliferation and immune escape. Therefore, LANA represents a promising target for the discovery and development of new anti-KSHV drugs, although no specific treatments directed against KSHV latency are available. In the current review, we summarize recent advances in development of KSHV-LANA targeted therapies and discuss existed challenging as well as potential concerns.