Viruses and human cancers: a long road of discovery of molecular paradigms

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Virology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Infectious agents are responsible for a significant portion of human cancers globally.
• Seven specific viruses are causally linked to human oncogenesis, accounting for 12% of all cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the molecular mechanisms of oncogenesis driven by specific viruses.
• To elucidate how viruses contribute to different stages of carcinogenesis.

Main Methods:

• Review of decades of research on viral oncogenesis.
• Analysis of molecular mechanisms including viral integration, insertional mutagenesis, and DNA damage.
• Examination of cellular process dysregulation by viral proteins through cell culture and animal studies.

Main Results:

• Viruses contribute to tumor initiation via mutagenic events like viral integration and insertional mutagenesis.
• Viral proteins dysregulate cellular processes, promoting tumor progression.
• Viruses employ mechanisms to interact with and evade the immune system.

Conclusions:

• Viruses play a multifaceted role in cancer development, acting at various stages of carcinogenesis.
• Understanding viral oncogenesis mechanisms is crucial for cancer prevention and treatment strategies.
• Viral interactions with the immune system and immune evasion are key aspects of viral-induced cancers.