DNA And RNA Tumour Viruses

Question 1

Which experiments was Peyton Rous trying to replicate and extend?

Answer 1

The experiments which demonstrated that tumours could be transplanted (for understanding transplant rejection)

Question 2

Describe Peyton Rous’s experiment

Answer 2

Takes tumour cells and breaks them apart. Takes tissue extract and filters it. The filter is good enough to remove all debris, cells and bacteria left.

The filtrate is then injected into animals and the animals develop the tumours. The tumour causing agent must be a virus, as everything else would have been caught by the filter

Question 3

Which virus was Peyton Rous dealing with?

Answer 3

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV)

Question 4

Name some RNA and DNA tumour causing viruses

Answer 4

RNA - RSV

DNA - SV40, polyomavirus, HPV

Question 5

Comment of the contrbution of SV40 to human cancer, as well as RSV and polyoma virus

Answer 5

The net contribution of SV40 to human cancer is very limited.
RSV and polyoma virus make no contribution at all

Question 6

Comment on the contribution of HPV on human cancer

Answer 6

80% of uterine cervical cancers are caused by papilloma virus, and cervical cancer kills 300 000 women per year

Question 7

Who discovered HPV and when?

Answer 7

Herald zur Hausen

Won the nobel prize in 2008 for discovering HPV 20-25 years earlier

Question 8

Which strains of HPV are most associated to cancer development?

Answer 8

HPV16 and HPV18, for which vaccines now exist