Delaine M. Zayas-Bazán Burgos RISE Program BIOL 3095

Seminar Reflection #1 by Olga González about: Herpesviral Reactivation: A Key Step for

Disease Development

Kaposi Sarcoma Herpes Virus is a member of the Herpes Virus Family, considered as a very

common family of viruses among us. KSHV, as well as many of the viruses composing its family, goes

through a state of latency. Latency is the period of time in which the virus will not express the genes that

could cause diseases. This state of latency is crucial, because it is when the virus reproduces and infects

healthy cells. Reactivation is another crucial moment, because, the virus expresses the genes that can cause

illnesses and, in the case of oncoviruses such as KSHV, cancer related symptoms. The importance of

understanding the mechanisms of latency and of reactivation is of extreme relevancy for the scientific

community. The Phd candidate Olga González and her team understand this importance. They are

investigating and studying the mechanisms of reactivation, the proteins, nucleic acids and DNA involved in

this crucial process of reactivation. These studies can lead to new discoveries in the treatment of all of the

diverse oncoviruses known. They can also lead to the development of molecular modifications of the cells

with the virus in latency. Similar studies may lead to the betterment of the people suffering from the

sicknesses related to these viruses.