Human Cancer Viruses

The first identification of a tumor-causing virus, Rous sarcoma virus, occurred almost 100 years ago, but it was not until the 1970s that the genetic basis for oncogenesis by this and other acutely transforming retroviruses was appreciated. Since then, numerous viral oncogenes and their corresponding cellular proto-oncogene counterparts have been identified, and these studies have contributed much to our understanding of crucially important aspects of cell biology and transformation. This book provides an up-to-date overview of the 6 major viruses that cause human cancers - HPV, HBV, HCV, EBV, KSHV and HTLV-1 - with respect to their molecular biology and epidemiology and to clinical aspects of disease, therapy and prevention. Contributed by over a dozen internationally renowned scientists, the chapters are comprehensively written and illustrated. The book is suitable for advanced students, postdoctoral researchers, scientists and clinicians who wish to understand the mechanisms leading to cellular transformation and oncogenesis by these viruses as a basis for the development of specific therapeutic and antiviral treatments.