Epstein-Barr Virus Makes Cells Immortal

Toronto scientists have found how the Epstein-Barr virus immortalizes cells, predisposing people with the virus to develop certain types of cancer.

All cells contain the two proteins p53 and USP7. These proteins work together to regulate cell growth. P53 determines whether cells will continue to multiply or stop dividing and die as they are supposed to. USP7 binds to p53 and makes it stable.

The virus, however, has a protein called EBNA1 that binds to USP7 and interferes with the process. Cells infected with EBNA1 continue to grow and may develop into cancer.

Epstein-Barr virus is one of the most common human viruses in the world and is strongly linked to certain b-cell cancers like Burkitt’s lymphoma as well as the epithelial cell cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, said says Lori Frappier, the paper’s senior author. This research shows how EBNA1 interferes with natural cell growth regulation by binding to a particular protein in cells, causing them to continue growing and therefore increasing the risk of becoming cancerous.

The research, lead by the University of Toronto, appears in the April 1 issue of Molecular Cell.