XMRV in Prostate Cancer and Beyond

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The FASEB Journal

The Journal of American Societies for

Experimental Biology

(The FASEB Journal. 2011;25:429.3)

© 2011 FASEB

429.3

The Retrovirus XMRV in

Prostate Cancer and Beyond

H Silverman

Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH

Genetic evidence that the antiviral protein, RNase L,

suppresses hereditary prostate cancer led us to

examine the possibility that chronic viral infections

might predispose men to prostate cancer.

These studies resulted in identification of a

previously unknown gammaretrovirus, xenotropic

murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV).

Currently, several different research teams have

published both PCR-based and non-PCR-based

evidence in support of the hypothesis that XMRV is a

bona fide human virus.

In addition, some but not all studies associated

XMRV infections with either prostate cancer or

chronic fatigue syndrome-myalgic encephalomyelitis

(CFS-ME).

XMRV replication is stimulated by androgen and

inhibited by interferon through host restriction

factors, such as apobec3, tetherin and RNase L.

Studies in rhesus macaques showed that intravenous

inoculation with XMRV caused wide-spread

dissemination of the virus in lymphoid and

non-lymphoid tissues (including prostate), a humoral

immune response and a chronic persistent infection.

While gammaretroviruses cause cancer and

neurological disease in animals it remains unknown

if XMRV is a cause of either prostate cancer or

CFS-ME.