Presence of mouse mammary tumor virus specifically alters the body odor of mice.

It has long been recognized that various genetic and metabolic human disorders alter body odor, which is not surprising because they may alter body chemistry. Thus, it has been suggested that some human diseases may be diagnosed by odor alone. In that regard, the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) and its tumors of mice, which may have human counterparts, are of special interest because of the need for basic research possible only in inbred and genetically defined animals. Accordingly, we now show that the mouse MMTV, whether obtained environmentally or genetically transmitted, alters the body odor of mice in both males and females, and regardless of the presence or absence of tumors. These observations, together with the prospect of artificial human odor discrimination, may aid in the search for early human diagnostics.