XMRV and prostate cancer--a 'final' perspective.
XMRV was first described in 2006, when it was identified in samples isolated from prostate cancer tissues. However, studies have since shown that XMRV arose in the laboratory and was formed by genetic recombination between two viral genomes carried in the germline DNA of mice used during serial transplantation of the CWR22 prostate cancer xenograft. These new findings strongly imply that XMRV does not circulate in humans, but is only present in the laboratory. Thus, there is no reason to believe that it has any role in the etiology of prostate cancer or other diseases.
Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. ksfanos@jhmi.edu
Karen S
KS
Sfanos
Amanda L
AL
Aloia
Angelo M
AM
De Marzo
Alan
A
Rein
D000818:Animals; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D058008:Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D004279:DNA, Viral