[Viruses and cancer: molecular pathologic mechanisms of viral carcinogenesis].

At least 15% of the human cancer incidence is caused by an infection with human tumor viruses. The recent progress of experimental cancer research led to important new concepts about the pathomechanisms of viral carcinogenesis. The functional inactivation of cellular tumor suppressor proteins by viral factors appears to be a key event in the process of virus-associated malignant cell transformation. This review summarizes the current concepts about the interaction between viral oncoproteins and cellular tumor suppressor proteins and evaluates their significance for individual tumor viruses and their associated cancers.