Celso Cunha, Associate Professor at GHTM | IHMT-NOVA and researcher in the THOP – TB, HIV and opportunistic diseases and pathogens group is a co-author of a major international study led by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which assessed the cancer-causing potential of three viruses: hepatitis D virus (HDV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). The findings, published in The Lancet Oncology and detailed in the IARC Monographs (Volume 139), provide new and strengthened evidence of the role these viruses play in cancer development.
The study confirms that HDV and MCPyV are carcinogenic to humans:
-
HDV, which infects people already carrying hepatitis B virus, significantly increases the risk of liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) by worsening liver inflammation, fibrosis, and cirrhosis.
-
MCPyV, a widespread virus in the general population, is linked to Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare but aggressive form of skin cancer, due to its ability to trigger genetic mutations and promote tumor growth.
HCMV, a herpesvirus evaluated for the first time in this context, was classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans, with limited evidence suggesting a link to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. More research is needed to better understand its role.
Find the full article here.