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Retroviruses and the genetics of cancer

H M Temin1

  • 1McArdle Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706.

International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics
|September 1, 1988
PubMed

Insights

Retroviruses can cause cancer through various mechanisms, often involving multiple steps. The evolution of oncogenes, like v-rel, appears mutation-driven rather than selection-driven, suggesting mutations play a key role in cancer development.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Retroviruses are known etiological agents in cancer development.
  • Cancer induction by retroviruses involves multiple mechanisms and steps.
  • Oncogene evolution is a critical factor in tumorigenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanisms by which retroviruses induce cancer.
  • To investigate the evolutionary drivers of oncogene development.
  • To propose a mutation-driven model for cancer evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Review of retroviral oncogenesis mechanisms.
  • Analysis of oncogene evolution, specifically v-rel.
  • Comparative analysis of selection-driven versus mutation-driven evolutionary models.

Main Results:

  • Retroviral cancer mechanisms include oncogene addition, proto-oncogene activation, immune suppression, and lymphoid proliferation.
  • The evolution of the v-rel oncogene is demonstrated to be mutation-driven, not selection-driven.
  • Retroviral replication's high mutation rate is implicated in oncogene evolution.

Conclusions:

  • Retroviral oncogenesis is a multi-step process involving diverse mechanisms.
  • Oncogene evolution, exemplified by v-rel, is primarily driven by high mutation rates in retroviruses.
  • A significant portion of other cancers may also be mutation-driven.

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