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Historical background.

M A Epstein1

  • 1Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|April 21, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Scientific dogma historically rejected cancer as infectious. Discoveries of oncogenic viruses, like Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), faced prejudice, but advancements in virology now link viruses to human cancers.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Virology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Historically, cancer was not viewed as infectious, a paradigm shift from ancient beliefs.
  • Early 20th-century discoveries of oncogenic viruses faced significant scientific skepticism and prejudice.
  • The Lucké frog renal carcinoma virus marked the first identification of a cancer-associated herpesvirus.

Observation:

  • Environmental factors, such as temperature, influence viral gene expression in poikilothermic hosts.
  • Marek's disease virus in chickens, an alpha-herpesvirus, shares biological traits with human Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).
  • Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was identified using novel techniques in cultured cells and electron microscopy, initially facing resistance.

Findings:

  • Marek's disease virus-induced lymphomas represent the first naturally occurring malignancy controlled by an antiviral vaccine.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Gamma-herpesviruses in non-human primates, including EBV-like agents and T-lymphotropic gamma-herpesviruses, have been identified.
  • Mouse herpesvirus 68 serves as a crucial laboratory model due to its genetic similarity and comparable behavior to EBV.
  • Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus was discovered using new methods, with its acceptance contrasting with earlier discoveries like EBV.

    • Implications:

    • The success of an antiviral vaccine against Marek's disease virus offers a model for human virus-associated cancers.
    • Progress in human tumor virology has accelerated, facilitating the acceptance of newly discovered tumor-associated viruses.
    • Understanding oncogenic viruses is critical for developing targeted therapies and preventative strategies for virus-linked cancers.