Virus linked to prostate tumours -- vaccine possible

[steven johnson]

Finally a cause of prostate cancer for which prevention might be possible.

The researchers from the University of Utah and Columbia University medical schools found the virus in 27% of the 200 cancerous prostates they looked at.

They say it was associated with more aggressive tumours and found in only 6% of non-cancerous prostates.
This is the first report to link XMRV (Xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus) to human cancers.

XMRV is a retrovirus like HIV which works by inserting a copy of its own DNA into the chromosomes of a cell they infect.

Dr Chris Parker, Cancer Research UK's prostate cancer expert at the Institute of Cancer Research said: "In the future, if it turns out to be true, then we could speculate about the possibility of vaccination to protect against prostate cancer, similar to the approach now used to prevent cervical cancer."




Virus linked to prostate tumours

[hedgehog]

1. Makes sense - it ties in with observations that Vitamin D protects

against prostate cancer and other observations that Vitamin D protects against other viral infections. It's nice when seemingly disparate areas of research start meshing.

[xchrom]

2. shouldn't there be 50 Bra-zillion anti-vaxer responses by now? nt