title: Burkitt lymphoma and the discovery of Epstein-Barr virus.
abstract: The chance germinal encounter with the first lecture outside Africa on Burkitt lymphoma is described together with the hypothesis of a viral cause. Repeated virological investigations on lymphoma biopsies proved negative, leading to the idea that a latent virus might be activated if lymphoma cells could be cultured, although no human lymphoid cell had at that time ever been maintained in vitro. A chance event reminding of the need for suspension culture with mouse lymphomas led to success. The cultured cells carried a morphologically unequivocal, strangely inert, herpesvirus shown later to be immunologically, biologically and biochemically unique. How this new agent acquired its name, Epstein-Barr virus, is explained.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK. anthony.epstein@wolfson.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Epstein
mesh_terms: D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000266:history*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research / Q000266:history