Abstract
Retroviral infections are considered important risk factors for cancer development in humans since approximately 15-20% of cancer worldwide is caused by an infectious agent. This report discusses the most established oncogenic retroviruses, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV-1 and -2), Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), Abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV), Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV), murine mammary tumor virus (MMTV), bovine leukemia virus, (BLV), Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV), and Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV). The role of retroviruses as inducers of carcinogenesis, the mechanisms underlying oncogenic transformation, and the routes of transmission of several cancer-related retroviral infections are also described. Finally, the impact of cancer-related retroviral infections in the developing world is addressed. This review is an update of carcinogenesis caused by retroviral infections.
Highlights
Infectious agents are considered to play a vital role in the development of cancer
The vast majority of several common malignancies worldwide are believed to be due to viral infections; the role of infections as cancer contributors is a matter of intense debate and controversy [1]
The current review is focused on RNA tumor retroviruses and will discuss the cancer-related retroviral infections and the mechanisms underlying retroviral transformation
Summary
Infectious agents are considered to play a vital role in the development of cancer. The vast majority of several common malignancies worldwide are believed to be due to viral infections; the role of infections as cancer contributors is a matter of intense debate and controversy [1]. Since 1990, the number of scientific publications dealing with viral, bacterial, parasitic, and protozoan infections contributing to cancer has increased significantly. These rates could be doubled if cases are included where there is a presumptive link, and viral infections are confirmed to have a distinct etiological role in the development of cancer. The current review is focused on RNA tumor retroviruses and will discuss the cancer-related retroviral infections and the mechanisms underlying retroviral transformation. Retroviruses Most retroviruses are RNA viruses that can cause either leukemia (malignancy of lymphoblasts, myeloblasts, or erythroblasts) or sarcoma (solid tumors that can metastasize in any organ of the body) and are known as leukoviruses or leukemia sarcoma viruses. Mouse mammary tumor virus Murine leukemia virus, Feline leukemia virus Human T-lymphotrophic virus, Bovine leukemia virus
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