Key mechanism for the proliferation of Epstein-Barr virus discovered

Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 18:21 in Health & Medicine

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a virus of the herpes family, has two distinct life phases: After infecting a cell it first goes into a resting phase. Under certain circumstances the virus can become active – and then induces tumor growth or promotes its synthesis in the cell. Especially in patients with weakened immune systems, EBV can cause its host cells to divide uncontrollably – causing a tumor to develop.

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