The role of Epstein-Barr virus in human tumorigenesis

Abstract

The Epstein-Barr virus, also known simply as EBV, is a virus of Herpes family that causes the infectious mononucleosis in humans. There is strong relationship between the latent infection by EBV and the development of several malignant tumors like Burkitt’s lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, lymphoma of B cells and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. There are also evidences that the EBV might be associated to others malignant neoplasms mainly gastric carcinomas, mammary carcinomas, leiomyosarcomas, lymphomas of B cells and “lymphoepithelioma-like” carcinomas of salivary glands, lung and thymus. Many of the proteins expressed by the EBV act directly as a oncogene, stimulating the proliferation of the infected cells. Besides, the viral DNA, when integrated to host genome, may cause mutations in regulatory genes of cell cycle, over all the tumor suppressor gene p53, favoring the emergence of neoplastic cells.