Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a frequent primary brain tumor well-known for its poor prognosis.The underlying cause of this malignancy has not yet been clarified.To date, the only determined risk factors are ionizing radiation exposure and some inherited genetic syndromes.Since a number of viruses have been implicated in the development of cancer, an investigation into of the viral etiology of GBM was conducted.Numerous exogenous viruses, from the herpesvirus and polyomavirus families, have been detected in GBM tissue samples and despite their prevalence being inconsistent across studies, human cytomegalovirus (CMV) has previously been associated with GBM progression and has also been suggested to serve a direct role in gliomagenesis, as CMV-elicited GBM cells are generated from normal astrocytes.Furthermore, endogenous retroviruses integrated into the human genome, such as human mouse mammary tumor virus-like-2 and human endogenous retrovirus W, can also contribute to certain oncogenic pathways, leading to poor clinical outcomes.Overall, a deeper understanding of how these viruses interact with their hosts could pave the way for new preventive strategies and the identification of new therapeutic targets.
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204255367