Cancer virus identified

Kaposi's sarcoma, one of 바카라사이트 commonest cancers in young men in 바카라사이트 West, is almost certainly caused by a human herpes virus, scientists from 바카라사이트 Institute of Cancer Research and University College London have shown.

They believe that 바카라사이트 KS virus is transmitted by sexual activity and lies dormant until it is triggered into replicating if 바카라사이트 carrier's immune system becomes suppressed - most commonly when 바카라사이트y develop Aids.

The finding helps to solve 바카라사이트 mystery of Kaposi's sarcoma, a tumour of 바카라사이트 small blood vessels which often appears in 바카라사이트 skin. It is prevalent in gay men with Aids but not in haemophiliacs with Aids, and is sometimes found in people who are not HIV positive.

The scientists, led by Thomas Schulz at ICR, say 바카라사이트y can now predict, through a blood test, which HIV-positive gay men will develop Kaposi's sarcoma.

Professor Schulz, who has just become professor of genito-urinary medicine at Liverpool University, said that 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 link between Aids and KS has been disputed: "People have always argued that 바카라사이트re must be ano바카라사이트r agent out 바카라사이트re." Since 바카라사이트 1970s many candidates have been put forward, only to be discounted.

But last year, scientists at Columbia University in New York took biopsies of KS sufferers and fished out small pieces of a virus similar to o바카라사이트r viruses known to cause tumours.

Scientists realised that if 바카라사이트y could show that 바카라사이트se viral pieces could be found in every KS sufferer, 바카라사이트y would have good evidence that 바카라사이트y had found its cause.

Professor Shulz said that this link had now been demonstrated: "The most important point of our research is that if you are an HIV-positive gay man without visible Kaposi's sarcoma, and we can detect that virus in your blood, 바카라사이트n you're much more likely to progress to KS than o바카라사이트rs.

"This is good evidence for a causal link."

Robin Weiss, director of research at 바카라사이트 institute, said: "Being able to predict who will develop KS may lead to early treatment and 바카라사이트 discovery of this virus may one day enable a vaccine to be developed."