The potential therapeutic usefulness of targeting bk polyomavirus in prostate cancer

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a slow-growing, organ-confined tumor usually accompanied with a favorable overall prognosis. Current standard-of-care chemotherapy, and recently immunotherapies, for patients suffering from this disease may prolong overall survival and improve quality of life, but they do not prevent tumor recurrence and thus are not curative. Underlying reasons are not completely understood. Recent investigations support a possible carcinogenic activity of the human BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) in the prostate. In this commentary, we envisage the development of BKPyV-related therapeutic strategies to be beneficial for individuals at risk of developing PCa