Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40290109›Full record

ArticleCellular and molecular bioengineering2025

Endothelial Cells Stably Infected with Recombinant Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Display Distinct Viscoelastic and Morphological Properties.

Majahonkhe M Shabangu, Melissa J Blumenthal, Danielle T Sass, Dirk M Lang, Georgia Schafer, Thomas Franz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cellular and molecular bioengineering, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Majahonkhe M ShabanguBiomedical Engineering Research Centre, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-6794-8096
Melissa J BlumenthalInternational Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-1865-0795
Danielle T SassBiomedical Engineering Research Centre, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-3376-0378
Dirk M LangDivision of Physiological Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa.ORCID 0000-0003-3901-2079
Georgia SchaferInternational Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa.ORCID 0000-0003-1044-3828
Thomas FranzBiomedical Engineering Research Centre, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-1504-3842

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a γ-herpesvirus that has a tropism for endothelial cells and leads to the development of Kaposi's sarcoma, especially in people living with HIV. The present study aimed to quantify morphological and mechanical changes in endothelial cells after infection with KSHV to assess their potential as diagnostic and therapeutic markers. Methods: Vascular (HuARLT2) and lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) were infected with recombinant KSHV (rKSHV) by spinoculation, establishing stable infections (HuARLT2-rKSHV and LEC-rKSHV). Cellular changes were assessed using mitochondria-tracking microrheology and morphometric analysis. Results: rKSHV infection increased cellular deformability, indicated by higher mitochondrial mean squared displacement (MSD) for short lag times. Specifically, MSD at τ = 0.19 s was 49.4% and 42.2% higher in HuARLT2-rKSHV and LEC-rKSHV, respectively, compared to uninfected controls. There were 23.9% and 36.7% decreases in the MSD power law exponents for HuARLT2-rKSHV and LEC-rKSHV, respectively, indicating increased cytosolic viscosity associated with rKSHV infection. Infected cells displayed a marked spindloid phenotype with an increase in aspect ratio (29.7%) and decreases in roundness (26.1%) and circularity (25.7%) in HuARLT2-rKSHV, with similar changes observed in LEC-rKSHV. Conclusions: The quantification of distinct KSHV-induced morpho-mechanical changes in endothelial cells demonstrates the potential of these changes as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.

Indexed as

Cell mechanicsKSHVLymphaticMechanotypingPassive microrheologyVascular

Identifiers

PMID40290109
PMCPMC12018662

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.