Evening star., 1938-12-04
Virus in Rabbits
Suspected Of Role
In Causing Cancer
Public Health Service
Report Reveals the
Existence Of Agent

Existence of a filterable virus
which may play a part, as yet very
obscure, in the production Of
form of mammalian cancer, was
revealed in report issued yester-
day by the United States Public
Health Service.
This so-called Shope virus, ac-
cording to the report of DR.. Carl
Voegtlin, director of the National
Cancer Institute, produces wart-
like groWths on cottontail rabbits
and is capable of inducing similar
groWths in domestic rabbits. In
the domestic animals, however, the
growths enlarge with great rapidity
and frequently become malignant.
This seldom happens with the wild
animals.
1t has never been recovered, DR..
Voegtlin emphasizes, from the
actual cancers themselves. 1t con-
stltuteS, however, the first definite
evidence OF such an agent in man.
malian neoplasms, for which cancer
workers have been searching for a
long time.
Committee FOrmulates Report.
The report, describing the present
status of cancer research and the
lines to be followed in the future,
was formulated by a. committee of
outstanding scientists appointed by
DR.. Thomas Parran, surgeon gen.
eral of the Public Health Service.
This committee consists of DR..
James B. Murphy and DR.. John
Northrup of the Rockefeller In
stitute for Medical Research, DR..
Stanhope Bayne-Jones, dean of the
Yale University Medical School;
Prof. Ross G. Harrison of Yale and
DR.. Clarence C. Little, director of
the Jackson Memorial Laboratory,
This marks the first time that ef-
forts have been made to formulate
In one plan the fundamental as
poets OF cancer research. The re-
port points out that certain chem
icals, radioactive materials, X-rays
and biological products are already
known to cause cancer and research
Is needed to determine the mech
anism of each of these agents.
Its Presence Indicated.
Regarding the virus, Dr. Voegtlin
says:
while the active virus has not
been demonstrated in cancers aris-
ing in virus-induced papillomas,
(wartllke groWths), its presence
has been indicated indirectly. The
virus injected intravenously will
readily localize in areas of skin pre-
viously treated with coal tar and
will cause malignant change
much earlier and more frequently
than would be the case with the
tar alone. When acting in this way
it appears to be precipitating fac
tor in cancer. The virus also will
localize in cell proliferation caused
by non-cancerous agents and no
malignant changes will result.
The question is still unsettled as to
whether the cancers induced by the
virus in tarred skin may not be due
entirely to the stimulating effect
upon cells already rendered malig-
nant by the tar.
Prom the virus point of view fowl
tumors still continue to furnish
material Of the greatest importance.
Here the transmitting agents ap-
parently cause direct tranSforma-
tion of normal INTO malignant cells,
and the continuation of the process
seems to depend on the continued
presence of the transmitting agent.
No Transmitting Agent Found.
so far no agents have been Sc
cured by the extensive inveStiga-
ton of mammalian tumorS with
which cancer can be directly trans
mitted, but the possibility that such
substance or substances do ex-
ist in mammalian tumors is GER
tainly worthy of future considera-
ton. The difficulty in their
demonstration may be due to the
relative impenetrability of the
mammalian cell or the agents may
be less stable than those from fowl
tumors.
"A notable property of the group
of agents causing tumors of fowls
is that they not only stimulate
proliferation of cells but also cause
differentiation of the cells into
complex tissue organizations"
The virus clue, DR.. Voegtlin en-
phasizes, is only one line being
followed to solve the mystery of |
mans most dreaded malady. The |
workers, he stresses, are eager to |
know why cancer cells show such |
unlimited and uncontrolled growth
In the body. 1t is yet to be de-
termined whether this ability is
due to differences in chemical |
makeup from normal cells. So
luton of this problem probably |
would provide the key to the real |
causes of cancer.
Search for New Methods.
Continued search for new meth
I, ods of treatment is urged by the |
committee Routine trying out of |
new things, it is explained, may
lead to the lucky accident of a
cure for some form of cancer, even
when the actual cause is not un-
derstood. The report stresses that
cancer research of the future should
continue to be concerned with the
relationship of heredity to the dis
ease, and emphasizes the need to
study different types of cancer,
since they are almost like different
. diseases.
The report also approves COL
1aboration between the newly estab-
hShed research institute of the Pub
:. lie Health Service here and the
newly established cancer clinic of
the Public Health Service at Bal
tlmore. Promising methods sug-
gested by laboratory experiment, it
Is stressed, can be actually tested
IN the clinic.
SeIznick Denies Role