The association of clinical progression of HAM/TSP with increased HTLV-1 PVL in individual patients [9] and the strong stimulation of OX40, together with the expression of the viral transactivator Tax in CD4+ T cells, indicates that targeting of OX40 positive T cells by anti-OX40 antibodies may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HAM/TSP. This evidence concerns the gene CNTN2 and tropical spastic paraparesis.