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In the Ma 13 numb f S' causing cancer in humans This Linked to a Virus ence, Dr. Helene W, Toolan who is because hamsters and humans is the senior author of the new are different animals. She C THE NEW YORY TItES Neir York, New York September 29, 1960 8 Forms of Cancar Effect on Hamsters Cited viruses were not capable of I• report wrote that she and her noted also that a tumor virus Isolated m Humans colleagues had noted, quite ac- that caused cancer in chickens been associated, however, is not Subsequent stvdics pointed plexities of human and animal et known and will take con• more and more strongly to a biology both in the presence of y virus or virus-like cntity as the cancer and otherwise. siderably more research to de- agent responsible for the bi- termine. zarre response of the baby Should It be found that hamsters. Finally, the viruses viruses produce malignancy in were actually observe& with the humans as they have been electron microscope as particles a little less than three-mil- found to do in many plants lionths of an inch across and and animals, important avenues completely unlike any other tu- ,for attadJs on the disease would mor virus yet observed, accord- be opened. Ing to the new report. It might be possible, for ex- T`-le studies are continuing a-ith the aim of answering other ample, to develop vaccines for v;tally Important questions. the prevention of cancer, pos- bbr example, there is a ques- -sibly a single vaccine against tion whether human tumors will cancer reported to have been in hamsters, according to the cer Institute. associated with a virus was report. The for Cancer Sloan-Ketterin Researchg Institute is one of leukemia, which affects the Seen Under Microscope the world's major centers dedi- blood. Thus, the new report Dr. Toolan found that the re- cated to the search for the adds considerable weight to the action could be produced by in- means of controlling cancer. A1L growing speculation that a wide jections of cell-free extracts though the institute has long range of human cancers may from the transplantable human been associated with the screen- tumors„ from livers and spleens ing of potentiallq useful chemi- be virus caused. of cancer patients but not from cals with which to combat the Whether viruses have actu- the tumors growing in patients disease, its work ranges into ra- ally caused any of the human or from the tissues of normal diation and surgery and into the cancers with which they have persons. basic understanding of the com- Before today, the only human dition had ever been observed Service and the National Can- cancer patients, the report says. the first time that such a con- the United States Public Health ammais-rats and mice-devel- pp y cerous livers and spleens of oped the deformity, and it was the American Cancer Society, eight' human cancers infindings characteristics that resembled mental animals by injecting :to be reported today by scien- mongolismi them with a substance that is s tists at the Sloan-Kettering In, . "It is characterized," she known 'to be associated with wrote, "by small size, flat face cancer in humans. stitute for Cancer Research, or microcephalic domed head, Associated with Dr. Toolan in The virus was isolated from protruding eyes and tongue, ab- this work were Dr. Gilbert Dall- transplanted tumors of the normal teeth or absence of dorf, Dr. Marion Barclay, Dr. mouth, muscle, ovary and other teeth, and bone fragility." Satish Chandra and Dr. Alice None of the other laboratory E. Moore. tissues, and from the non-can- Their work was su rted b o cidentally, that baby hamsters produced a bleeding disease in in jected with cell4ree extracts rate. By JOHN A. OSMUNDSEN of transplantable human tumors The Important factor is, she (ones that would "t'ake" on lab- said, that a reproducable re- A virus has been linked with oratory animals) developed sponse can be elicited in experi- several, forms of the disease. be found that are not associated Also, should scientists find a with the newly discovered virus. way of combating virus diseases Human Tests Suggested with drugs, cancer, too, would The virus was found in all become vulnerable to chemo- eight' of the transplanted human therapy: tumors tested at the time of the report, and Dr. Toolan said yes• Another possibility-and one terday that this number had al- that is more closely connected ready risen,to ten. to the Sloan-Kettering findings Another question the team is -is that sensitive tests could be trying to answer is tsjhether it devised for detecting virus- will be possible to isolate viruses caused tumors, which might from a tumor growing in a otherwise escape notice unt'il, too patient. late. An answer to the big ques- In a sense, one such cancer tion-whether the virus can be "test'" is described', in the report shown to produce a tumor-will that appears in the September no doubt be some time off. It number of The Proceedings of probably will, require injectingg the National Academy of Sci- humans, or at least monkeys;, ences. The "test'." consists of with the tumor viruses. the peculiar reaction that baby Dr. Toolan pointed out yes- hamsters have to injections of terday that failure of the virus the human cancer-virus. to.produee tumors in the ham- sters did not mean that the