“Kissing disease” virus promotes malignant breast cancer development

In our adolescent years, we would often snicker at other kids who were diagnosed with mononucleosis, as it was (and often still is) colloquially referred to as the “kissing disease.” However, in recent years mounting evidence has suggested that infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has become associated with various forms of cancer—which is certainly no laughing matter. Alarmingly, a new study led by researchers from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has revealed that infection with EBV may put some women at increased risk of developing breast cancer. Yet, results from the new study—“Epstein–Barr Virus Infection of Mammary Epithelial Cells Promotes Malignant Transformation”—published recently in EBioMedicine, may provide important implications for breast cancer screening and prevention in the future. EBV, one of eight known viruses in the herpes family (human herpes 4 or HHV4) to infect humans, is also one of the most common viruses to infect humans and is best...