Landmarks: Viruses and Human Cancer

Abstract

Since the 1908 demonstration by Ellerman and Bang of the transmission of avian leukemia with neoplastic cell-free filtrates, numerous viruses capable of causing malignant tumors have been identified in a variety of animals including primates, the species most closely related to man. . Logically, the question has arisen that man should not be the only species in the animal kingdom that is immune to viral oncogenesis and there are many research works conducted with the purpose of demonstrating it.