Skip to main content

RNA Tumor Viruses and Breast Cancer

  • Chapter
Breast Cancer

Abstract

Over the past 60 years a considerable amount of information has been amassed concerning the role of viruses in naturally occurring cancers. In particular, the group of viruses known as the RNA tumor viruses has been implicated in a variety of cancers in a wide spectrum of animals. In addition to the presence of the virus, numerous genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors play an important permissive role in the development of many neoplasias. Although the presence of RNA tumor viruses in humans or their involvement in human cancer remains as yet unproven, information from experimental systems is clearly consistent with this possibility. Recent advances in molecular and cell biology and immunology have been applied to the search for a human virus. These studies have provided evidence for the possible presence of these viruses in human tumors. In this presentation we would like to review the recent evidence concerning the unique biologic characteristics of the RNA tumor viruses as well as the methods currently being utilized in attempts to detect their presence in experimental animal and human systems. Consideration will also be given to the relevance of these findings to the human breast cancer problem.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AHMED, M., KOROL, W., LARSON, D., MOLNAR, M., SCHIDLOVSKY, G.: Transformation of rat mammary cell cultures by R-35 virus isolated from spontaneous rat mammary adenocarcinoma. J. nat. Cancer Inst. 48, 1077–1083 (1972).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • AXEL, R., SCHLOM, J., SPIEGELMAN, S.: Presence in human breast cancer of RNA homologous to mouse mammary tumor virus RNA. Nature (Lond.) 235, 32–36 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • BENTVELZEN, P.: Hereditary infections with mammary tumor viruses in mice. In: RNA Viruses and Host Genome in Oncogenesis. Emmelot, P., Bentvelzen, P. (eds.). New York: North American Elsevier Publishing Co., 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  • BERNHARD, W.: The detection and study of tumor viruses with the electron microscope. Cancer Res. 20, 712–727 (1960).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • CHOPRA, H.C., MASON, M.M.: A new virus in a spontaneous mammary tumor of a rhesus monkey. Cancer Res. 30, 2081–2086 (1970).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • COLCHER, D., SPIEGELMAN, S., SCHLOM, J.: Sequence homology between the RNA of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus and the RNA of human malignant breast tumors. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 71, 4975–4979 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • DAS, M.R., VAIDYA, A.B., SIRSAT, S.M., MOORE, D.H.: Polymerase and RNA studies on milk virions from women of the Parsi community. J. nat. Cancer Inst. 48, 1191–1196 (1972).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • FELLER, W.F., KANTOR, J.: The clinical status of women whose milk contains reverse transcriptase and 70S RNA. Colloque, Recherches Fondamentales sur les Tumeurs Mammaires, 279–286 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  • GERWIN, B., EBERT, P., CHOPRA, H., SMITH, S., KVEDAR, J., ALBERT, S., BRENNAN, M.: DNA polymerase activities of human milk. Science 180, 198–201 (1973).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MASON, M.M., BOGDEN, A.E., ILLIEVSKI, V., ESBER, H.J., BAKER, J.R., CHOPRA, H.C.: History of rhesus monkey adenocarcinoma containing virus particles resembling oncogenic RNA viruses. J. nat. Cancer Inst. 48, 1323–1331 (1972).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MICHALIDES, R., SCHLOM, J.: Relationship in nucleic acid sequences between mouse mammary tumor virus variants. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 72, 4635–4639 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MICHALIDES, R., SCHLOM, J., DAHLBERG, J., PERK, K.: Biochemical properties of the bromodeoxyuridine-induced guinea pig virus. J. Virol. 16, 1039–1050 (1975a).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MICHALIDES, R., SPIEGELMAN, S., SCHLOM, J.: Biochemical characterization of putative subviral particulates from human malignant breast tumors. Cancer Res. 35, 1003–1008 (1975b).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SARKAR, N.H., NOWINSKI, R.C., MOORE, D.H.: Characteristics of the structural components of the mouse mammary tumor virus. I. morphological and biochemical studies. Virology 46, 1–20 (1971).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SCHLOM, J., SPIEGELMAN, S.: Simultaneous detection of reverse transcriptase and high molecular weight RNA unique to oncogenic RNA viruses. Science 174, 840–843 (1971).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SCHLOM, J., SPIEGELMAN, S., MOORE, D.H.: Detection of high molecular weight RNA in particles from human milk. Science 175, 542–544 (1972).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SCHLOM, J., SPIEGELMAN, S., MOORE, D.H.: RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity in virus-like particles isolated from human milk. Nature (Lond.) 231, 97–100 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • VAIDYA, A.B., BLACK, M.M., DION, A.S., MOORE, D.H.: Homology between human breast tumor RNA and mouse mammary tumor virus genome. Nature (Lond.) 249, 565–567 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • YEH, J., AHMED, M., LYLES, J., LARSON, D., MAYYASI, S.A.: Competition radioimmunoassay for Mason-Pfizer monkey virus: Comparison with recent isolates. Int. J. Cancer 15, 632–639 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1976 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Schochetman, G., Schlom, J. (1976). RNA Tumor Viruses and Breast Cancer. In: St-Arneault, G., Band, P., Israël, L. (eds) Breast Cancer. Recent Results in Cancer Research / Fortschritte der Krebsforschung / Progrès dans les recherches sur le cancer, vol 57. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-81043-5_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-81043-5_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-81045-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-81043-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics