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Updated: Mar 8, 2026
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Microarray-based Identification of Individual HERV Loci Expression: Application to Biomarker Discovery in Prostate Cancer
Published on: November 2, 2013
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Human endogenous retroviruses and cancer
María Gonzalez-Cao1, Paola Iduma2, Niki Karachaliou1
1Translational Cancer Research Unit, Instituto Oncológico Dr Rosell, Quirón Dexeus University Hospital, Barcelona 08028, Spain.
Cancer Biology & Medicine
|February 4, 2017
Summary
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), remnants of ancient infections, are linked to various cancers. Targeting HERVs offers a promising new avenue for cancer immunotherapy and treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Immunology
- Oncology
Background:
- Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) constitute approximately 8% of the human genome, originating from ancient retroviral infections.
- Most HERVs are epigenetically silenced or mutated, yet some remain transcriptionally active.
- Aberrant expression of HERVs, particularly HERV-K (HML2) and HERV-K (HML6), is observed in diverse human cancers, including melanoma, breast, renal, ovarian, and germ cell tumors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential role of HERVs in human cancer development and progression.
- To investigate the immunogenic properties of HERV-derived proteins and their interaction with the immune system.
- To evaluate the therapeutic potential of targeting HERVs in cancer immunotherapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on HERV expression in cancer.
- Analysis of data from animal models demonstrating the oncogenic potential of endogenous retroviruses.
- Examination of HERV-derived peptides' antigenic properties and immune response activation.
Main Results:
- HERV protein expression is a common feature in many human tumors.
- HERV-derived peptides can elicit immune responses, such as activation of CD8+ lymphocytes by HERV-K (HML-6) derived peptides.
- HERVs exhibit dual immunomodulatory effects, including immunosuppression and activation of interferon type I responses.
Conclusions:
- HERVs represent a potential target for cancer therapy due to their association with tumors and immunogenic properties.
- Cellular vaccines or immunomodulatory drugs combined with checkpoint inhibitors targeting HERVs are being explored for cancer treatment.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms of HERV involvement in oncogenesis and to optimize HERV-based therapeutic strategies.
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