Revisiting the MMTV Zoonotic Hypothesis to Account for Geographic Variation in Breast Cancer Incidence

oleh: Alexandre F. R. Stewart, Hsiao-Huei Chen

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-03-01

Deskripsi

Human breast cancer incidence varies by geographic location. More than 20 years ago, we proposed that zoonotic transmission of the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) from the western European house mouse, <i>Mus musculus domesticus</i>, might account for the regional differences in breast cancer incidence. In the intervening years, several developments provide additional support for this hypothesis, including the limited impact of genetic factors for breast cancer susceptibility revealed by genome-wide association studies and the strong effect of antiretroviral therapy to reduce breast cancer incidence. At the same time, economic globalization has further expanded the distribution of <i>M. m. domesticus</i> to Asia, leading to a significant increase in breast cancer incidence in this region. Here, we revisit this evidence and provide an update to the MMTV zoonotic hypothesis for human breast cancer at a time when the world is recovering from the global COVID-19 zoonotic pandemic. We present evidence that mouse population outbreaks are correlated with spikes in breast cancer incidence in Australia and New Zealand and that globalization has increased the range of <i>M. m. domesticus</i> and MMTV. Given the success of global vaccination campaigns for HPV to eradicate cervical cancer, a similar strategy for MMTV may be warranted. Until breast cancer incidence is reduced by such an approach, zoonotic transmission of MMTV from mice to humans as an etiologic factor for breast cancer will remain controversial.