The cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), mainly affects people with weak immune systems including AIDS patients and those who recently underwent transplant procedures. Nearly 1,500 cases of Merkel cancer are reported annually. Around 50 percent of the patients with advanced stages of the cancer survive for nine months only.
According to the research paper, MCC is a rare but extremely aggressive cancer that spreads rapidly into other tissues and organs and develops from specialized nerve cells that respond to touch or pressure.
The discovery of MCV, which produces a type of carcinogenic protein and blocks a gene that stops the growth of cancer cells, is expected to lead to new cancer treatments. MCV is likened to human papillomavirus (HPV), which led to the discovery of a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. While more studies are still needed to confirm the findings, researchers cite that the discovery of MCV is a breakthrough.
"If these findings are confirmed, we can look at how this new virus contributes to a very bad cancer with high mortality, and, just as importantly, use it as a model to understand how cancers occur and the cell pathways that are targeted. Information that we gain could possibly lead to a blood test or vaccine that improves disease management and aids in prevention," said Dr. Patrick Moore, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Viruses, some bacteria and parasites are estimated to cause at least 20 percent of cancers worldwide. Over the past 40 years, only a few cancer-causing viruses have been confirmed in humans. MCV, if confirmed to play a role in human cancer, will be the eighth human tumor virus discovered.
