Adenovirus-12 genes undetectable in human retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is a rare eye tumor found predominantly in young children. Intra-ocular injection of adenovirus-12 (Ad-12) into newborn recipients induces in rats and in baboons tumors morphologically similar to human retinoblastoma tumors. In addition, Ad-12 DNA can transform human embryonic retinal cells and the transformed cells form retinoblastoma-like tumors in nude mice. These observations have led to the suggestion that Ad-12 may also be involved in the induction of human retinoblastoma tumors. To test this possibility, DNA and RNA were isolated from six human tumors. Analysis of RNA and DNA by blotting with labelled Ad-12 failed to reveal viral sequences in human retinoblastoma.