he theory that viruses contribute to the development of certain types of cancers was originally proposed by the Nobel winning scientist Peyton Roués in the early 20th century.

Since then, both DNA and RNA viruses have been implicated in the development of colon, cervical, skin and liver cancers. Ultimately, viral infection can lead to the disruption of many cell cycle regulators, including pRb and p53. The mechanisms by which viruses are thought to promote carcinogenesis include insertion of viral proteins that disrupt normal host cell function and those that increase expression of proto-oncogenes.

Lecturers will discuss current experimental efforts to identify the mechanisms by which HPV, EPV and SV40 viruses promote carcinogenesis and useful strategies for preventing viral infection and associated disease.

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