HTLV-1 viral biofilm: generation and transmission of a new infectious entity

A never-before-seen way for viruses to spread during an infection was discovered in Dr. Marina Caillet’s lab. HTLV-1, a virus that causes both leukemia and a neurological disease, is able to exit the infected cell, enclosed in a protective cocoon of extracellular matrix proteins, called a viral biofilm. Caillet is studying this new form of transmission to understand how viral biofilms form and function. The answers may be relevant to other viruses such as HIV and could present new strategies for controlling infection.