iCAV

iCAV provides an integrated repository of genome sequences and associated phenotypic metadata for seven human cancer-associated viruses to support research into viral contributions to carcinogenesis.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Genomic Data: iCAV contains 18,649 genome sequences from seven cancer-related viruses—Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV), human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), human papillomavirus (HPV), and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV)—each classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as either Class 1 human carcinogens or 'probably carcinogenic to humans' (Group 2A).
• Phenotypic Correlation: Genomic entries are linked to associated diseases, sample types, and geographical origin to enable analysis of virus–disease relationships across populations and environments.
• Research Integration: Integration of genomic and phenotypic data supports elucidation of mechanisms of viral carcinogenesis and research in viral oncology, epidemiology, and the development of targeted therapies or vaccines.

Scientific Applications:

• Elucidation of carcinogenic mechanisms: Comparative analysis of viral genomes and linked phenotypes to investigate how these viruses contribute to oncogenesis.
• Viral oncology research: Use of integrated genomic and clinical data to study virus-associated tumor biology and host–virus interactions.
• Epidemiology and geographic analysis: Examination of sample origin and geographic distribution to characterize population-level patterns of virus prevalence and disease association.
• Therapeutics and vaccine research: Support for identification of viral genetic features relevant to development of targeted therapies and vaccine design.

Methodology:

Genome sequences were compiled from published sources and each entry was classified and linked to phenotypic metadata including disease association, sample origin, and geographical distribution.