Biology of the BKPyV: An Update

Francois Helle (1) , Etienne Brochot (1, 2) , Lynda Handala (3, 1) , Elodie Martin (1) , Sandrine Castelain (1, 2) , Catherine Francois (1, 2) , Gilles Duverlie (1, 2)

1 AGIR - Agents infectieux, résistance et chimiothérapie - UR UPJV 4294
2 Laboratoire de Virologie [CHU Amiens]
3 CHU Amiens-Picardie

The BK virus (BKPyV) is a member of the Polyomaviridae family first isolated in 1971. BKPyV causes frequent infections during childhood and establishes persistent infections with minimal clinical implications within renal tubular cells and the urothelium. However, reactivation of BKPyV in immunocompromised individuals may cause serious complications. In particular, with the implementation of more potent immunosuppressive drugs in the last decade, BKPyV has become an emerging pathogen in kidney and bone marrow transplant recipients where it often causes associated nephropathy and haemorrhagic cystitis, respectively. Unfortunately, no specific antiviral against BKPyV has been approved yet and the only therapeutic option is a modulation of the immunosuppressive drug regimen to improve immune control though it may increase the risk of rejection. A better understanding of the BKPyV life cycle is thus needed to develop efficient treatment against this virus. In this review, we provide an update on recent advances in understanding the biology of BKPyV.

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Francois Helle, Etienne Brochot, Lynda Handala, Elodie Martin, Sandrine Castelain, et al.. Biology of the BKPyV: An Update. Viruses, 2017, 9 (11), ⟨10.3390/v9110327⟩. ⟨hal-03591576⟩