Five Oncoviruses Debut On NIH Carcinogen List

Seven newly evaluated substances, including five oncoviruses, have been added to the US National Institutes of Health’s 14th Report on Carcinogens.

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Leukemia cells that contain Epstein-Barr virusCDC, PAUL M. FEORINO

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released its 14th Report on Carcinogens last week (November 3), bringing the total number of carcinogens on its watch list up to 248. The new report adds five new viruses to the list—including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), one of the first oncoviruses ever discovered—as well as the element cobalt, which is used to make metal alloys and rechargeable batteries, and the industry solvent trichloroethylene (TCE).

“Given that approximately 12 percent of human cancers worldwide may be attributed to viruses, and there are no vaccines currently available for these five viruses, prevention strategies to reduce the infections that can lead to cancer are even more critical,” Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, ...

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