Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the first human oncogenic virus discovered in 1964, initially drew attention for its role in Burkitt lymphoma [1]. Today it is recognized as the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis and is linked to several malignancies of epithelial and lymphocytic origin [2]. EBV-related diseases exhibit notable geographic patterns, leaving scientists puzzled about the virus's evolution in humans and the geographic differences in disease manifestation. In particular, the EBV-associated disease nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is endemic to southern China, earning it the nickname ‘Cantonese cancer’ [3]. The incidence rate of NPC in southern China is almost 20-fold higher than the rest of the world due to the presence of a highly pathogenic EBV strain (known as the high-risk strain) strongly linked to NPC [4]. Surprisingly, researchers discovered a clonal substrain within the high-risk strain which has rapidly expanded across southern China. Until now, the origin of this clonal strain and the factors driving its proliferation have remained enigmatic.
爱泼斯坦-巴尔病毒（EBV）于1964年被发现，是人类首例致癌病毒，最初因与伯基特淋巴瘤的关联而受到关注[1]。现今该病毒已被确认为传染性单核细胞增多症的病原体，并与多种上皮细胞及淋巴细胞来源的恶性肿瘤密切相关[2]。EBV相关疾病呈现出显著的地域分布特征，其病毒在人类中的进化路径及疾病表现的地理差异令科学家困惑不已。尤为突出的是，EBV相关疾病鼻咽癌在中国南方地区呈区域性高发，因而被称为「广东癌」[3]。由于存在与鼻咽癌密切关联的高致病性EBV毒株（即高风险型毒株），中国南方地区的鼻咽癌发病率较世界其他地区高出近20倍[4]。令人惊讶的是，研究人员在该高风险毒株中发现了一种克隆亚型，该亚型已在中国南方迅速扩散。迄今为止，这种克隆毒株的起源及其扩散驱动因素仍是一个未解之谜。
A tale of two species: the origin of the Cantonese cancer in southern China
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家