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Molecular concepts of virus infections causing skin cancer in organ transplant recipients

I Nindl1, F Rösl

  • 1DKFZ-Charité Cooperation, Viral Skin Carcinogenesis, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. i.nindl@dkfz.de

American Journal of Transplantation : Official Journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons
|September 13, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Viruses cause 15% of cancers, especially in organ transplant recipients (OTR) due to immunosuppression. This review explores how viruses like human papillomavirus (HPV) drive skin cancer development in OTR.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Virology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Viruses are responsible for approximately 15% of all malignant tumors globally.
  • This percentage is significantly higher in organ transplant recipients (OTRs).
  • Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common malignancy in OTRs, often linked to cutaneous human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review general concepts of viral carcinogenesis, focusing on direct and indirect mechanisms.
  • To discuss the role of immunosuppressive drugs in OTRs and their impact on viral infections and skin tumor development.
  • To highlight the specific roles of HPV and HHV-8 in NMSC and Kaposi sarcoma (KS), respectively.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on viral carcinogenesis.
  • Discussion of the mechanisms of virus-induced transformation.
  • Description of a rodent model for studying skin tumor prevention strategies.

Main Results:

  • Tumor viruses can act as direct or indirect carcinogens in multistep carcinogenesis.
  • Immunosuppression in OTRs can reactivate latent viral infections, increasing skin tumor risk.
  • HPV functions as an indirect carcinogen, while HHV-8 acts as a direct carcinogen in specific cancers.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding viral carcinogenesis is crucial for managing cancer risk in OTRs.
  • Targeting viral reactivation and oncogenic pathways may offer preventative strategies.
  • Rodent models are valuable for testing novel approaches to prevent skin tumors in immunosuppressed populations.

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