Kaposi Sarcoma

Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) is an angioproliferative malignancy caused by Human Herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8/KSHV) and is marked by vascular lesions multifocally located on the skin and in the mucosa and various organs. Protheragen provides comprehensive, one-stop preclinical drug and therapy development services tailored to address the complex challenges associated with Kaposi sarcoma.

Introduction to Kaposi Sarcoma

Kaposi Sarcoma is marked by the presence of multiple tumors and is additionally linked to the human herpesvirus-8. The disease is evidenced by skin lesions and also features lymphatic and internal organ involvement. The mechanism focuses on the latency proteins of HHV-8, which includes LANA, vFLIP, and vGPCR, which triggers angiogenesis and inflammation through IL-6 in association with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). There are four known subtypes: classic, endemic, iatrogenic, and epidemic or AIDS-associated. The highest rate of incidence is in the Sub-Saharan regions of Africa with an astonishing 48 cases every 1 million annually.

Fig.1 Histone modification in KSHV infection. (Srivastava, Srivastava and Singh, 2023)

Pathogenesis of Kaposi Sarcoma

The disease mechanism for Kaposi Sarcoma stems from an active infection with HHV-8 that remains dormant for lifespan in endothelial cells and lymphocytes. Viral oncoproteins alter the signaling pathways of the cells, causing excessive proliferation of spindle cells and resulting in cancer. The combination of excessive inflammation and angiogenesis lead to the creation of a microenvironment that is inflammation rich, supportive to tumor growth. This tumor is able to grow due to immune suppression and the mechanisms of the body that escape immune detection. The growth of the tumor is allowed to grow uncontrolled in the skin, tissues and organs that are internal.

Therapeutics Development for Kaposi Sarcoma

Disclaimer: Protheragen focuses on providing preclinical research services. This table is for information exchange purposes only. This table is not a treatment plan recommendation. For guidance on treatment options, please visit a regular hospital.

Our Services

Protheragen delivers end-to-end preclinical support for Kaposi sarcoma, combining specialized therapeutic platforms with pathogenesis-driven disease models. Harness our virology and dermatopathology expertise to accelerate your KS drug development.

Therapeutics Development Platforms for Kaposi Sarcoma

Disease Models Development for Kaposi Sarcoma

Protheragen leverages customizable in vitro platforms including 2D cell models and 3D skin models to model KS virology and angiogenesis, while our in vivo suite utilizes animal models to recapitulate disease progression. All models undergo stringent biomarker and functional validation to ensure clinical relevance for therapeutic development.

2D Cell Models & 3D Skin Models

• KSHV-infected primary lymphatic endothelial cells
• Latency-associated nuclear antigen
• KS/PEL co-culture model
• Dermal microvascular angiogenesis model

Animal Models Development

• KSHV ORF73 transgenic mouse
• vGPCR-driven angioproliferative rat
• Humanized KS xenograft model
• Immunosuppression-associated KS swine

DMPK & Drug Safety Evaluation Services for Kaposi Sarcoma

In Vitro ADME Services

• Metabolic Stability Assay
• CYP Inhibition Screening
• Muscle Cell Uptake
• Skin Permeability Assay
• Plasma Protein Binding

In Vivo Pharmacokinetics Services

• Muscle Distribution Study
• Skin Concentration Analysis
• Capillary Permeability Test
• Blood-to-Plasma Ratio
• Metabolite Profiling

Drug Safety Evaluation

• General Toxicology Evaluation
• Genetic Toxicology Evaluation
• Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity Evaluation

• Immunogenicity and Immunotoxicity Evaluation
• Local Toxicity Evaluation
• Phototoxicity Evaluation

• Tissue Cross-Reactivity Evaluation
• Safety Pharmacology Evaluation
• Toxicokinetic Evaluation

Protheragen provide seamless transition from initial disease modeling to drug safety evaluation and DMPK services. This unified approach delivers de-risking insights to accelerate your KS therapeutic pipeline.

Contact us to advance your Kaposi sarcoma development program.

References

• Ma, S., X. Chen, and Y. Lai. "Global Research Landscape of Hiv and Kaposi's Sarcoma: A Visualized Bibliometric Analysis." Front Microbiol 16 (2025): 1601245.
• Srivastava, A., A. Srivastava, and R. K. Singh. "Insight into the Epigenetics of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus." Int J Mol Sci 24.19 (2023).

All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.