title: Epstein-Barr virus and oncogenesis: from latent genes to tumours.
abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous human herpesvirus associated with the development of both lymphoid and epithelial tumours. As a common virus infection, EBV appears to have evolved to exploit the process of B cell development to persist as a life-long asymptomatic infection. However, the virus can contribute to oncogenesis as evidenced by its frequent detection in certain tumours, namely Burkitt's lymphoma (BL), post-transplant B cell lymphomas, Hodgkin's disease (HD) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and by its unique ability to efficiently transform resting B cells in vitro into permanently growing lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). These transforming effects are associated with the restricted expression of EBV genes such that only a subset of so-called latent virus proteins are expressed in virus infected tumours and in LCLs. Distinct forms of EBV latency are manifest in the different tumours and these appear to be a vestige of the pattern of latent gene expression used by the virus during the establishment of persistent infection within the B cell pool. This review summarises our current knowledge of EBV latent gene function and how this relates to the role of the virus in the aetiology of different tumours.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research UK Institute for Cancer Studies, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. L.S.Young@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Lawrence S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000821:virology; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D016679:Genome, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000821:virology; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000821:virology