BK Polyomavirus and its Association withCancer: A Review Study

Background: Polyomaviruses are a group of small, non-envelopedDNA viruses that infect humans and animals. Theyare known to cause a wide range of diseases, including cancer.Among these viruses, BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) has beenidentified as a potential oncogenic virus. It is a ubiquitous virusthat infects up to ۹۰% of the adult population worldwide.BKPyV primarily infects the urinary tract and establishes latencyin renal tubular cells, but it can also infect other tissues,such as respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and central nervoussystem.Materials and Methods: In this review study, the potential andthe mechanism by which BKPyV contributes to cancer developmentwas investigated.Results: The oncogenic potential of BKPyV was first suggestedwhen BKPyV DNA was detected in a human brain tumorsample. Numerous studies have reported the presence ofBKPyV DNA and/or protein in various types of cancers, includingprostate cancer, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, and braintumors. One hypothesis suggests that BKPyV may promotecancer by inducing cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis.The large T antigen (LTAg) of BKPyV is known to bind and inactivatetumor suppressor proteins, such as p۵۳ and pRb, leadingto uncontrolled cell growth. Another hypothesis proposesthat BKPyV may contribute to cancer development by inducinggenomic instability.The detection of BKPyV in cancer tissues has led to developmentof diagnostic tools for the detection of BKPyV DNA andprotein in clinical samples. These tools have been used to investigatethe prevalence of BKPyV in cancers and to explorethe potential use of BKPyV as a biomarker for cancer diagnosisand prognosis.Conclusion: In Conclusion: , BKPyV has been identified as apotential oncogenic virus that may contribute to cancer developmentby promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosisor inducing genomic instability. Further studies are needed tofully understand the mechanism by which BKPyV contributesto cancer and to develop effective strategies for prevention andtreatment of BKPyV-associated cancers.