Infection and Cancer

Dear Colleagues,

It is estimated that infection contributes to the development of around 20% of human cancer – some 2 million cases per year. Understanding the role of infection in cancer continues to provide fundamental insights into the underlying mechanisms responsible for driving the oncogenic process as well as highlighting opportunities for therapeutic and prophylactic intervention. It is just over 100 years since Peyton Rous discovered an infectious agent capable of transmitting sarcoma to chickens. This observation spawned the field of tumour virology resulting in a range of key discoveries including the identification of oncogenes and of viruses associated with human cancer. In the last few years the significance of infection-related cancer has been recognized by the award of the Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine. In 2005 the Nobel prize was awarded to Barry Marshall and Robin Warren for their discovery of Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium associated with peptic ulcers, gastritis and gastric cancer. And in 2008 Harald zur Hausen was awarded the Nobel prize for his discovery of human papillomaviruses and their association with cervical cancer. Both these seminal observations have not only shed light on different oncogenic mechanisms but led to exciting cancer prevention approaches based on eradicating infection – antibiotics in the case of Helicobacter pylori and vaccination in the case of human papillomavirus. The special issue on ‘Infection and Cancer’ will focus on the current status of our understanding of the role of infectious agents in the etiology of human cancer and on the opportunities for therapeutic and prophylactic intervention. We thus invite submission of research and review manuscripts that cover any aspect of the epidemiology, molecular and cell biology, immunology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infection-related cancer. I look forward to your contributions and to a valuable edition that will promote further developments in this exciting field.

Thank you for your collaboration.

Prof. Dr. Lawrence S. Young
Editor-in-Chief