Rous sarcoma

A sarcoma produced in chickens by an RNA-containing virus.

[After Francis Peyton ROUS.]

The first filterable agent (virus) known to cause a solid tumor in chickens. It was discovered in 1911 by P. F. Rous, who won the Nobel prize in 1967 for his discovery. It is a ribonucleic acid virus and belongs to the avian leukosis group. Certain strains of the virus cause tumors in hamsters, rabbits, monkeys, and other species. The Rous virus is known as a “defective” virus in that it is incapable of producing tumors by itself but requires another closely related virus of the avian leukosis group to act as a “helper” for the production of the foci. See also Animal virus; Tumor viruses; Virus, defective.

A spindle-cell sarcoma of fowls which is transplantable, metastasizes freely and usually destroys the host bird within a short time. It is caused by the Rous sarcoma virus, a retrovirus, which occurs in several serotypes and is transferable to rabbits, mice, rats, hamsters and primates as well as chickens.