Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) Epithelial Associated Malignancies: Exploring Pathologies and Current Treatments

Abstract

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is one of eight known herpesviruses with the potential to infect humans. Globally, it is estimated that between 90–95% of the population has been infected with EBV. EBV is an oncogenic virus that has been strongly linked to various epithelial malignancies such as nasopharyngeal and gastric cancer. Recent evidence suggests a link between EBV and breast cancer. Additionally, there are other, rarer cancers with weaker evidence linking them to EBV. In this review, we discuss the currently known epithelial malignancies associated with EBV. Additionally, we discuss and establish which treatments and therapies are most recommended for each cancer associated with EBV.

The programed death‐1/programed death ligand‐1 axis and its potential as a therapeutic target for virus‐associated tumours

“…It was first isolated from Burkitt lymphoma (BL), was the first human carcinogen virus to be identified, and currently infects more than 95% of adults worldwide. [42][43][44][45][46] After EBV infection, the virus can continue to lurk in B cells, and most individuals show no symptoms but some will have EBV-mediated cancer, including lymphoma and epithelial cell cancers. 47,48 Currently, tumours highly associated with EBV include BL, 49 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), 50 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), 51 and some GCs.…”

EBV and Lymphomagenesis

“…Amongst the hematologic malignancies, EBV is associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) [ 7 ], classic Hodgkin lymphoma [ 8 ], NK/T-cell lymphoma [ 9 ], post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) [ 10 ], Burkitt lymphoma [ 11 ], and primary CNS lymphoma [ 12 ]. EBV has also been linked to multiple epithelial malignancies [ 13 ], including gastric cancer [ 14 ] and nasopharyngeal cancer [ 15 ]. These EBV-associated malignancies were thought to be responsible for 239,700–357,900 new cases and 137,900–208,700 deaths in 2020 [ 16 ].…”

“…Indeed, just EBV-associated gastric cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Burkitt lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma were responsible for 164,000 deaths [ 18 ]. In addition, there is less conclusive evidence linking EBV to the pathogenesis of multiple other epithelial malignancies [ 13 ]. EBV proteins, which will be discussed further in this article, are key to the oncogenic process [ 19 ].…”

Editorial: The role of non-coding RNA in the diagnosis and treatment of infection induced gastrointestinal cancers

“…It has been well-recognized that Helicobacter pylori pylori) infection can cause systemic multiple organ diseases and even tumors, such as gastric cancer (GC) (1). Other pathogenic microorganisms, including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and various hepatitis viruses, are all related to the occurrence of gastrointestinal cancer, liver cancer, and other digestive system cancers (2,3). Non-coding RNAs, including miRNA, lncRNA, circRNA, piRNA, etc., can regulate gene expression at epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional levels, through methylation or histone modification, chromatin remodeling, or competitive inhibition.…”