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Cytomegalovirus is a tumor-associated virus: armed and dangerous

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

46 Scopus citations

Abstract

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) gene products are present in multiple human malignancies, often in specific association with tumor cells and tumor vasculature. Emerging evidence from human and mouse models of CMV infection in cancer indicate that CMV can transform epithelial cells, promote epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal to epithelial (MET) in tumor cells, promote tumor angiogenesis and proliferation and incapacitate the host anti-CMV immune response. This review will discuss the increasing role of HCMV in human cancer by demonstrating how HCMV is well suited for impacting major themes in oncogenesis including initiation, promotion, progression, metastasis and immune evasion. What emerges is a picture of an extremely versatile pathogen that may play a significant role in human cancer progression and death.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)49-59
Number of pages11
JournalCurrent Opinion in Virology
Volume39
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2019

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