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Oncogenic spiral by infectious pathogens: Cooperation of multiple factors in cancer development
Jun-Ichirou Yasunaga1, Masao Matsuoka1,2
1Laboratory of Virus Control, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Abstract:
Chronic infection is one of the major causes of cancer, and there are several mechanisms for infection-mediated oncogenesis. Some pathogens encode gene products that behave like oncogenic factors, hijacking cellular pathways to promote the survival and proliferation of infected cells in vivo. Some of these viral oncoproteins trigger a cellular damage defense response leading to senescence; however, other viral factors hinder this suppressive effect, suggesting that cooperation of those viral factors is important for malignant transformation. Coinfection with multiple agents is known to accelerate cancer development in certain cases. For example, parasitic or bacterial infection is a risk factor for adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma induced by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1, and Epstein-Barr virus and malaria are closely associated with endemic Burkitt lymphoma. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection is accompanied by various types of infection-related cancer. These findings indicate that these oncogenic pathogens can cooperate to overcome host barriers against cancer development. In this review, the authors focus on the collaborative strategies of pathogens for oncogenesis from two different points of view: (i) the cooperation of two or more different factors encoded by a single pathogen; and (ii) the acceleration of oncogenesis by coinfection with multiple agents.
Insights
Chronic infections drive cancer through pathogen cooperation. Multiple viral factors or coinfections accelerate oncogenesis by overriding cellular defenses and promoting malignant transformation.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Chronic infections are a significant cause of cancer.
- Pathogens employ oncogenic factors to promote infected cell survival and proliferation.
- Viral oncoproteins can induce senescence, but other factors may counteract this, enabling malignant transformation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review collaborative strategies of pathogens in oncogenesis.
- To examine cooperation between factors from a single pathogen.
- To explore how coinfections accelerate cancer development.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on infection-mediated oncogenesis.
- Analysis of mechanisms of viral oncoproteins and cellular responses.
- Examination of case studies involving coinfections and cancer.
Main Results:
- Pathogens utilize cooperative strategies to overcome host defenses against cancer.
- Single pathogens can encode multiple factors that work together for oncogenesis.
- Coinfection with different agents can accelerate cancer progression.
Conclusions:
- Pathogen cooperation, either through single-agent factors or coinfection, is a critical mechanism in cancer development.
- Understanding these collaborative strategies is key to developing targeted cancer prevention and therapies.
- Further research into pathogen interactions can elucidate complex oncogenic pathways.
