This is terrible news, because 90 percent of us have had contact with this virus in childhood. American scientists have just announced that the Epstein-Barr virus, related to herpes viruses, may contribute to the development of breast cancer. It is one of the most common germs that causes, among others, mononucleosis.
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is related to the herpes viruses and has long been suspected of causing a variety of cancers, including gastric cancer, Burkitt’s lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal cancer (mainly found in Asia and Africa).
It also causes infectious mononucleosis, called kissing disease, because the infection can be spread through saliva.
American researchers in “EbioMedicine” have just announced that this virus, although rarely, causes breast cancer.
There have already been studies suggesting that breast cancer in women may also be associated with EBV infection. They were carried out in the United States, Europe, China and India. However, there is still no evidence that would conclusively confirm this.
Dr. Gerburg Wulf from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Massachusetts, together with specialists from Harvard Medical School in Boston, decided to check in laboratory conditions whether EBV could have a carcinogenic effect on breast cells in women.
These tests show that Epstein-Barr viruses can bind to the CD21 receptor of normal mammary epithelial cells, which allows them to become infected. Under its influence, they behave like stem cells that can reproduce endlessly and can transform into various types of tissues. One hypothesis is that it is stem cells that begin neoplastic development.
The next stage of the experiments was to conduct observations on mice. They show that EBV promotes the action of a protein that accelerates the reproduction of breast cancer cells. Its mutations in the mammary gland epithelial cells were similar to those found in one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer, distinguished by a lack of estrogen receptors.
Dr. Wulf says that the Epstein-Barr virus does not directly cause breast cancer, but it does. An infected organism may develop a woman’s life later.
The same is true for cervical cancer, to which the human papillomavirus (HPV) contributes. Infection with it can occur after sexual intercourse begins, and if not treated by the immune system, it can take 20–40 years to develop.
“We suspect that if a woman becomes infected with EBV during or after adolescence, her mammary epithelial cells may be attacked by it,” says Dr. Wulf. She adds that most infected women will not develop breast cancer, but some may develop breast cancer after several decades.
The Epstein-Barr virus is one of the most common infections. It is suspected that 80-90 percent are infected with it. people in the world. It is easy to get infected through saliva or genitals. It is considered to be moderately serious, as most infections are asymptomatic and rarely cause complications.