ONCOGENIC VIRUSES - IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN DISEASES .2.

Hope arises with the recognition of a consistent association between tumor and viruses, at 3 practical levels for patients, in addition to progress made in various forms of treatments: immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy, immunoprophylaxis and therapy directed at causative agents. Knowledge of the biology of agents closely related to tumors might permit specific early virus related detection tests, particularly useful in high risk populations, as well as preventive measures associated with cancer screening. Viral components and virus products coded for by the viral genome in the cell (nonstructural components) are the targets for these assays. The recognition of transformation-related and virogenic functions is needed to be able to use tumor specific virus-directed tests. Research directed at the biology of the tumor and virus associated antigens, particularly at the immunological level, might resolve arguments concerning the etiology of the disease. Immunopreventive attitudes might be another important aim, perhaps on a more long term issue, for the assessment of these measures needs work on large population samples and long term follow-up before being able to see any significant effect on the incidence of a particular tumor. If a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying malignant transformation by viruses is gained, appropriate therapeutic drugs or agents more specific for the malignant event and less toxic for normal cell components might be able to be devised.