Iirc, Herpesviruses tend not to integrate into host DNA, instead remaining as circular episomes (think plasmids). Don't get excited though, I suspect there's a reason they only do so in the body's least replicative cells! Probably very segregation-unstable.
Anyways, the cancer risks from related viruses are due not to dodgy integration but "deliberate" attacks on host cell anti-oncogenes. That is, herpesviruses create artificial cancer cells with high efficiency so.their hosts are replicating while they, within, are replicating (cue "I herd you liek replicating" meme).
In any case, herpes simplex 1/2, responsible for cold sores and "true" genital warts, are not high up on the list of cancer risk factors, I think. It's been a while since I studied them though..
Also, unless I missed a beat, there's no vaccine for either herpes simplex virus: the cervical cancer vaccine targets a more distant relative in the large herpesvirus family which generally doesn't cause noticeable symptoms.
On Mon, Dec 9, 2013 at 4:41 PM, Xabier Vázquez Campos
<xvazquezc@gmail.com> wrote:Most people is infected with HSV and you will never get rid of it, at least
not thanks to the immune-system. The prevalence of HSV1 (cold-sores) ranges
from 50-100% of the population depending of the country...
Does that mean it's OK though, surely there must be some toll on the
body, stress or energetically. If it can randomly insert can't it
cause cancer? Is that worth the potential for some neat horizontal
gene transfer to happen as a result of infection?
:/
:P
I guess that's the trade-off of evolution, it costs and could suck for
a while, but maybe eventually it get's better/cooler/ and unforeseen
things can happen.
--
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
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