Virus et cancers humains : des virus modèles aux nouvelles étiologies

It is estimated that almost 18% of human cancers are associated with viruses including viruses causing chronic hepatitis, high risk papillomaviruses, herpesviruses, HTLV-I and, more recently Merkel cell polyomavirus. Criteria for causal relation come from epidemiology, animal models, tumor analysis and investigations of the immortalizing and transforming abilities of these viruses in culture. The genetic basis of cancer has largely been deduced from the analysis of several oncogene viruses. This present article used the most récent reviews in the field to delineate general pathways of virus-associated oncogenesis in humans.