Retrovirus-host interactions. The mouse mammary tumor virus model

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) is a retrovirus which can induce mammary carcinomas in mice late in life by activation of proto-oncogenes after integration in their vicinity. Surprisingly, it requires a functional immune system to achieve efficient infection of the mammary gland. This requirement became clear when it was discovered that it has developed strategies to exploit the immune response. Instead of escaping immune detection, it induces a vigorous polyclonal T-B interaction which is required to induce a chronic infection. This is achieved by activating and then infecting antigen presenting cells (B cells), expressing a superantigen on their cell surface and triggering unlimited help by the large number of superantigen-specific T cells. The end result of this strong T-B interaction is the proliferation and differentiation of the infected B cells leading to their long term survival.