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Modeling Breast Cancer via an Intraductal Injection of Cre-expressing Adenovirus into the Mouse Mammary Gland
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Modeling Breast Cancer via an Intraductal Injection of Cre-expressing Adenovirus into the Mouse Mammary Gland

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A viral aetiology for breast cancer: time to re-examine the postulate

Christine Mant1, Shirley Hodgson, Richard Hobday

  • 1Infection and Immunity Laboratory, Guy's College and St Thomas' School of Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.

Intervirology
|March 27, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Decades of research have not identified a cause for human breast cancer. Recent interest suggests viruses like Epstein-Barr virus may play a role, reviving the infectious hypothesis for breast cancer aetiology.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Virology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • No definitive cause for human breast cancer identified despite extensive research.
  • Murine mammary tumor virus (MMTV) demonstrated to cause breast tumors in mice over 60 years ago.
  • Endogenous human retrovirus (HER) sequences complicate the search for viral causes in humans due to sequence homology with MMTV.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the background and recent findings supporting the infectious hypothesis for breast cancer aetiology.
  • To discuss candidate viruses implicated in human breast cancer.
  • To explore the resurgence of interest in viral infections as a cause of breast cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on viral aetiology of breast cancer.
  • Discussion of genetic evidence and challenges in identifying viral causal agents.
  • Presentation of recent findings on candidate viruses in breast cancer cases.

Main Results:

  • Two candidate viruses proposed: a human retroviral analogue of MMTV and Epstein-Barr virus (gamma-herpes virus).
  • These viruses have been reported in a significant proportion of breast cancer cases (up to 37% and 50%, respectively).
  • Recent resurgence of interest in viral infections as a potential cause of human breast cancer.

Conclusions:

  • The infectious hypothesis for breast cancer aetiology is being revisited.
  • Candidate viruses show prevalence in breast cancer cases, warranting further investigation.
  • Further research is needed to confirm the role of specific viruses in human breast cancer development.

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