GROWTH OF FELINE LEUKAEMIA VIRUS IN HUMAN CELLS

WE have been investigating the aetiology of, and the possible relationships between, leukaemia in man and domestic animals. We have shown that feline leukaemia (lymphosarcoma) is associated with a virus which has similar morphological and physical characteristics to the known leukaemogenic viruses of the fowl and mouse1,2. The virus-feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) is found in the tissues of spontaneously diseased animals3-6, and induces leukaemia in experimental cats inoculated shortly after birth5,7-9. FeLV replicates in vitro, in cells explanted from leukaemic tissues1,9,10 and in normal embryonic feline cells inoculated with cell-free extracts of tumours11. We have found that FeLV grows in human cells. © 1969 Nature Publishing Group.