Given the success of the Research Topic ‘The Role of DNA Viruses in Human Cancers’ Volume I and the rapidly evolving subject area, we are pleased to announce the launch of Volume II. 100 years ago, oncogenic viruses were discovered when Peyton Rous demonstrated that solid tumors could be produced in chickens by using cell extracts from a transplantable sarcoma. At the beginning, oncogenic viruses all proved to be members of the retrovirus family. The study of the identification of oncogenes that are activated or captured by retroviruses, leading to viral transformation and oncogenesis, laid the foundation for our current understanding of cancer. In recent years, many investigations have been published on human DNA viruses. In particular, the human papillomavirus (HPV), polyomaviruses (PyV), and human adenoviruses (AdV), proved much more tractable and soon dominated early studies of transformation and tumorigenesis.

It has been estimated that ~30% of human tumors are linked to oncogenic DNA viruses, in which HPV, HBV (or HCV), and EBV cause cervical cancer, liver cancer, and nasopharyngeal cancer, respectively. The transforming genes of DNA viruses are necessary for viral reproduction. However, cellular transformation is a collateral consequence of the activities of viral transforming proteins. Some viruses alter the growth and proliferation of infected cells by the action of viral signal transduction proteins that are not obviously related in sequence to cellular proteins. Some of these viral proteins operate by mechanisms well established in studies of cellular signaling cascades, but others function in different ways. Investigations on the association between human cancers and DNA tumor viruses has become significant for scientific research in the field of oncology and virology.

The aim of this Research Topic is to focus on the association between DNA tumor viruses and human cancers. We are interested in submissions that deal with tumor biology, the molecular mechanisms operated by viral oncogenic proteins during the oncogenesis steps, and the immunology of DNA tumor viruses. The detection of small DNA tumor viruses in patients affected by cancers and understanding their mechanisms of cell transformation may also allow for more precise cancer treatment options.

We welcome the submission of original research, reviews, brief research reports, or general commentary on but not limited to the following topics:

• Basic research that furthers our understanding of the mechanisms underlying how DNA viruses stimulate or evade immune response, and viral infections in tumorigenesis as well as molecular mechanisms of drug resistance.

• Translational research focusing on the identification of new drugs and new approaches for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for viral infections and cancer.

• Clinical studies informing diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine prevention for viral infection and related cancer diseases.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

The Role of DNA Viruses in Human Cancers Volume II