BK Virus Linked to Bladder Cancer Development Through Immune Response, Research Shows
A common virus, BK virus, may play a importent role in the development of bladder cancer, but not through the mechanism previously thought. New research indicates the virus doesn’t directly integrate into cellular DNA to stimulate tumor growth, as seen in other cancers. Rather, the body’s immune response to the virus causes damage to bladder cells, which can ultimately lead to cancer.
Researchers,led by Dr. baker, discovered that DNA damage occurred not only in cells infected with the BK virus, but also in surrounding, healthy cells. This explains why bladder tumors often show no detectable trace of the virus when diagnosed – the initial damage may have occurred long before, when the virus was actively present.
The BK virus is already a concern for kidney transplant patients. These individuals require immunosuppressant medication to prevent organ rejection,and this suppression can reactivate the virus. This creates a “double threat,” as explained in the research: patients may initially experiance illness due to the active virus, and then face an increased risk of developing bladder cancer later on.
“Little has been invested in bladder cancer research in the past, even though this cancer is common,” notes Stephen Leveson of York Against Cancer. ”This new research helps to better understand the process of cancer development and may lead to new ways of diagnosis and treatment.”
Dr.baker emphasizes the importance of this discovery in broadening our understanding of bladder cancer’s origins. “We had suspected for some time that the virus played a role, but we did not know how. Now we know how the BK virus can contribute to the development of bladder cancer and why tumors no longer carry a trace of the virus.”
The findings are especially relevant for kidney transplant patients, who are more than three times as likely to develop bladder cancer due to their increased risk of BK virus infection. Future research will focus on developing improved methods for detecting the BK virus.