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Tumors and Viruses in Nonhuman Primates

1979; Elsevier BV; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0065-3527(08)60392-9

1557-8399

S. R. S. Rangan, Robert E. Gallagher,

Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments

This chapter discusses the current knowledge about tumor viruses, belonging to retroviridae and herpetoviridae, isolated from normal and malignant tissues of nonhuman primates. In addition, certain retroviruses of nonprimate origin are considered to a limited extent since they can induce experimental tumors in simian species. The utilization of nonhuman primates in virus-induced tumorigenesis studies increased subsequently to the demonstration that Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) can induce tumors in rhesus monkeys. Despite the availability of many virus-induced tumor models in common laboratory animals and the fact that many simian species may be either endangered or threatened of becoming extinct, the following considerations warrant the continued–judicious use of nonhuman primates in tumor-virus research related to human malignancies. That nonhuman primates are not in any way specifically resistant to tumor development is suggested by the reported outbreaks of malignant neoplastic diseases in several primate colonies. Retroviridae is a recent name assigned to a family of enveloped RNA viruses that contain an antigenically specific RNA-directed DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase). Since retroviruses are (endogenous retroviruses) or can become (infectious retroviruses) an integral part of the cellular genome; it has been possible to use retroviruses as molecular tools to study the cellular as well as viral evolution. Several vaccines are currently in use against diseases caused by viruses that have a horizontal mode of transmission. Since herpesviruses, including those with proven oncogenicity, are transmitted horizontally, it may be feasible to develop an appropriate vaccine for the prevention of the diseases they cause, such as EBV-induced infectious mononucleosis and perhaps Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinomas.