Neuroblastoma in childhood and its potential viral involvement: A webinar by the Paediatric Virology Study Group

Abstract

Neuroblastoma represents the most common and lethal solid tumour of early childhood. In view of variations in genetic elements, MYCN amplification is certainly the most prominent genetic factor occurring in 1/4 or 1/5 of children with neuroblastoma; however, overall, the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma remains to be resolved. Rare, sporadic infections with Epstein-Barr, hepatis C virus and varicella-zoster virus have been detected in children with neuroblastoma, while the presence of BK virus was initially claimed, but later falsified as a triggering factor for the development of high-risk neuroblastoma. The proposed model by Professor Ugo Rovigatti, Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Florence in Italy, is based upon infection with micro-foci inducing virus and its potential tumorigenic role as trigger of i) high and persistent inflammation; ii) chromothripsis and genetic instability; and iii) in vitro cell transformation and in vivo carcinogenesis.Modelling is still under-utilized and under-developed in clinical virology and cancer research; however, it is expected to play a significant role in the future, aiming to elucidate the cancer enigma. This article is based on a webinar on neuroblastoma in children, which was organised virtually on

Insights in paediatric virology during the COVID‑19 era (Review)

“…The present review article was published in the context of the ‘7th Workshop on Paediatric Virology’, which was organised virtually by the Institute of Paediatric Virology (IPV; https://paediatricvirology.org ), which is located on the island of Euboea in Greece, on December 20, 2021. In the context of the same workshop two more articles on the foundation of paediatric intensive care in Greece written by Papatheodoropoulou et al ( 2 ) and the potential involvement of viruses in the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma in childhood written by Rovigatti et al ( 60 ) were published at the World Academy of Sciences Journal . The authors would like to thank Professor Anne Greenough, Professor of Neonatology and Clinical Respiratory Physiology at the King's College London (London, UK) and President of the Academic Board of the Institute of Paediatric Virology for her support and valuable comments.…”

Association of Human Papilloma Virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Epstein–Barr Virus with Breast Cancer in Jordanian Women

“…Several viruses fall into this category including the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) [12], the human papilloma virus (HPV) [13], the cytomegalovirus (CMV) [14], and others [15,16]. These viruses are linked to various cancers, including neuroblastoma, B cell lymphomas, and cervical and oropharyngeal cancers [17][18][19][20]. The association between being infected with these viruses and the occurrence of BC is still a matter of active research with no conclusive evidence.…”