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Updated: Sep 27, 2025

Visualization of SARS-CoV-2 using Immuno RNA-Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Published on: December 23, 2020
SARS-CoV-2 and human retroelements: a case for molecular mimicry?
1Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Goethe University Hospital, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. B.Koch@med.uni-frankfurt.de.
Background:
The factors driving the late phase of COVID-19 are still poorly understood. However, autoimmunity is an evolving theme in COVID-19's pathogenesis. Additionally, deregulation of human retroelements (RE) is found in many viral infections, and has also been reported in COVID-19.
Results:
Unexpectedly, coronaviruses (CoV) - including SARS-CoV-2 - harbour many RE-identical sequences (up to 35 base pairs), and some of these sequences are part of SARS-CoV-2 epitopes associated to COVID-19 severity. Furthermore, RE are expressed in healthy controls and human cells and become deregulated after SARS-CoV-2 infection, showing mainly changes in long interspersed nuclear element (LINE1) expression, but also in endogenous retroviruses.
Conclusion:
CoV and human RE share coding sequences, which are targeted by antibodies in COVID-19 and thus could induce an autoimmune loop by molecular mimicry.
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