Virus infections and cancers - from mechanisms to therapeutics

Sep 22, 2026

Viral infections are a major driver of global cancer incidence and mortality, yet integrative reviews connecting viral classification to carcinogenic mechanisms and translational strategies remain limited. This review synthesizes key oncogenic viruses, including HPV, EBV, HBV, HCV, MCPyV, HTLV-1, KSHV, and HIV, and emerging SARS-CoV-2. It details molecular processes such as viral oncogenes, DNA integration, epigenetic remodeling, host signaling disruption, metabolic dysregulation, and tumor microenvironment remodeling. It also evaluates antiviral therapies, vaccines, biomarker-guided precision diagnostics, prognostic approaches, and synergistic strategies including ICIs, CAR-T, and oncolytic viruses, enhanced by multi-omics, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, organoids, and AI.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages45

Reading Time1 h 53 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Li et al. Molecular Biomedicine (2026) 7:108 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s43556-026-00485-6](https://doi.org/10.1186/s43556-026-00485-6) Molecular Biomedicine REVIEW Open Access Virus infections and cancers: from mechanisms to therapeutics Yu Li1,2†, Wenjie Yu1,2†, Jiaxin Yun1,2, Jingqian Wang1,2, Yakun Liu1,3, Huancheng Su2, Hongrui Guo2, Jiaolin Yang2, Yaru Yan2, Xiaoliang Yan1,4, Sanyuan Zhang1,2*, Hailan Yang1,5* and Zhe Wang1,2* Abstract Viral infections are a major contributor to global cancer incidence and mortality. However, integrative reviews that connect viral classification, carcinogenic mechanisms, tumor microenvironment remodeling, and translational strategies remain limited. This review summarizes the classification and epidemiological characteristics of majoroncogenic viruses, including human papillomavirus (HPV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), as well as emerging viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) . We then discuss the molecular basis of virus-associated carcinogenesis, including viral oncogenes, viral DNA integration, epigenetic remodeling, aberrant host signaling, and metabolic dysregulation. We further examine how chronic inflammation and fibrosis create oncogenic niches within the tumor microenvironment (TME), how viruses promote tumor progression through immune evasion and immune exhaustion, and how infected cells interact with stromal and immune components oftheTME. At the preventive and therapeutic levels, we discuss antiviral therapies, vaccines, biomarker-based precision diagnostics, and prognostic strategies, with particular attention to the synergistic potential of emerging therapeutic approaches such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), CAR-T therapy, and oncolytic viruses (OVs) . Finally, we highlight how multi-omics approaches, single-cell transcriptomics, spatial transcriptomics, organoid models, and artificial intelligence can advance mechanistic studies and translational innovation in virus-associated cancers. Overall, this review providesan integrated framework for understanding, preventing, and treating virus-associated tumorigenesis. Keywords Carcinogenic viruses, Tumor microenvironment, Epigenetics, Biomarkers, Precision therapy †Yu Li and Wenjie Yu contributed equally to this work and share first authorship. *Correspondence: Sanyuan Zhang [zsyprofessor@sxmu.edu.cn](zsyprofessor@sxmu.edu.cn)[ ](zsyprofessor@sxmu.edu.cn)HailanYang [yanghailan100@163.com](yanghailan100@163.com)[ ](yanghailan100@163.com)Zhe Wang [wangzhe@sxmu.edu.cn](wangzhe@sxmu.edu.cn) 1 Department of the First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China 2 Department of Gynecology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China 3 Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China 4 Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China 5 Department of Obstetrics, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China © The Author(s) 2026. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation

FAQs

Which viruses are covered in the review of virus-associated cancers?

The review summarizes major oncogenic viruses including HPV, EBV, HBV, HCV, MCPyV, HTLV-1, KSHV, and HIV, and also addresses emerging SARS-CoV-2.

What molecular mechanisms of virus-associated carcinogenesis does the review discuss?

It covers viral oncogenes, viral DNA integration, epigenetic remodeling, aberrant host signaling, and metabolic dysregulation, linking these to tumor microenvironment changes.

What preventive and therapeutic approaches does the review emphasize?

It examines antiviral therapies and vaccines, biomarker-based precision diagnostics, and prognostic strategies, with special attention to synergistic options such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T therapy, and oncolytic viruses.

Sep 22, 2026

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