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Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
Published on: September 7, 2022
Does delayed EBV infection contribute to rising childhood cancers?
Baochun Zhang1, Il-Kyu Choi2, Jutatip Panaampon3
1Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract:
Childhood cancer is on the rise in high-income countries. Epidemiological studies suggest that reduced exposure to common infections in early life is to blame. However, no specific infection responsible for protection against cancer has been identified, and the underlying mechanisms remain a matter of speculation. Recent findings that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can induce antitumor immunity lead us to hypothesize that the delay in EBV infection in such countries might contribute to the increase in childhood cancers.
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