Categories: All - viruses - cancer - transformation

by Jenny Doriot 16 years ago

354

Viruses and Cancer

Research into the connection between viruses and cancer has revealed significant findings. Early discoveries in mice showed virus-induced adenocarcinomas, and subsequent studies identified DNA oncogenic viruses like Epstein-Barr virus, human papillomavirus, and hepatitis B as contributors.

Viruses and Cancer

Viruses and Cancer

RNA Oncogenic Viruses

Subtopic
human T-cell leukemia
only from family Retroviridae

DNA Oncogenic Viruses

hepatitis B
Epstein-Barr virus
human papillomavirus

Transformation of Normal Cells into Tumor Cells

less round than normal cells and show abnormalities
T antigen...antigen in nucleus of tumor cell
tumor specific transplantation antigen...antigen on cell surface
tumor cells undergo transformation
oncogenic viruses: 10% of cancers
Bishop and Varmus: Nobel 1989..cancer-inducing genes carried by viruses are actually derived from animal cells
affect parts of the genome called oncogenes

Unrecognized because:

cancers are not contagious like viral diseases usually are
cancer may not develop until long after infection
most of the particles infect cells but do not induce cancer

adenocarcinomas in mice were discovered in 1936...virus-induced

Sarah Stewart..discovered and isolated human cancer-causing virus

first demonstrated in 1908 by Wilhelm Ellermand and Olaf Bang...causative agent of chicken leukemia

F Peyton Rous...chicken sarcoma