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Updated: Dec 15, 2025

Microarray-based Identification of Individual HERV Loci Expression: Application to Biomarker Discovery in Prostate Cancer
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Human Endogenous Retrovirus K in Cancer: A Potential Biomarker and Immunotherapeutic Target

Gislaine Curty1, Jez L Marston2, Miguel de Mulder Rougvie2

  • 1Programa de Oncovirologia, Instituto Nacional de Câncer, Rio de Janeiro RJ 20231-050, Brazil.

Viruses
|July 10, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Human endogenous retrovirus type K (HERV-K) is typically silenced but becomes active in cancer cells. This review explores HERV-K HML-2

Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics
  • Oncology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Epigenetic alterations drive gene expression changes in diseases like cancer.
  • Human endogenous retrovirus type K (HERV-K) expression is normally suppressed in healthy adults.
  • Increased HERV-K mRNA expression is frequently observed in tumor cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of the HERV-K HML-2 subtype in carcinogenesis.
  • To discuss the potential of HERV-K as cancer biomarkers.
  • To explore HERV-K as a target for cancer immunotherapy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on HERV-K expression in cancer.
  • Analysis of HERV-K's function in carcinogenesis.
  • Evaluation of HERV-K-derived proteins as tumor-specific antigens.

Main Results:

  • HERV-K expression is reactivated in various cancer types.
  • HERV-K proteins function as tumor-specific antigens, eliciting immune responses.
  • The HERV-K HML-2 subtype shows significant involvement in cancer development.

Conclusions:

  • HERV-K HML-2 can serve as a valuable biomarker for cancer.
  • Targeting HERV-K offers a promising avenue for novel cancer immunotherapies.
Keywords:
HERVHERV-KHML-2 subtypecancerendogenous retrovirusimmune responseimmunotherapyneoantigenoncogenesistumor-specific antigens

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