A virus-like particle associated with leukaemia (lymphosarcoma) in cats

This pioneering work identified virus-like particles associated with naturally occurring lymphosarcoma in cats, providing early evidence that a transmissible retrovirus underlies the disease now known as feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection. The Glasgow group's electron-microscopic and transmission studies helped establish FeLV as a horizontally transmissible oncogenic retrovirus, a foundational finding for both feline oncology and the broader study of virus-induced cancer. The discovery launched decades of research into retroviral leukemogenesis, leading to vaccines and testing programs that dramatically reduced disease burden. It matters because FeLV became one of the first clear examples of a naturally spreading cancer-causing virus in a companion animal, with lessons that extended to human tumor virology.