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Updated: May 28, 2026

Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo
12:42

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Published on: January 7, 2019

Mechanism and Therapeutic Potential of Viral Mimicry in Cancer Immunotherapy

Alisha Pearl Kirkland1, Mahek Shah1, Charles Spruck1

  • 1Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.

Biomolecules
|May 27, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Viral mimicry reactivates innate antiviral pathways in tumors, enhancing cancer immunotherapy. This strategy boosts immune cell infiltration and antigen presentation, overcoming resistance in cold tumors.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Cancer immunotherapy is limited by "cold" tumor microenvironments (TME) with poor antigen presentation and interferon (IFN) signaling.
  • These factors lead to insufficient immune cell infiltration and resistance to current treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms and clinical potential of viral mimicry in cancer immunotherapy.
  • To explore strategies for overcoming TME-related treatment resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Review of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) and retrotransposons (e.g., LINE-1) reactivation.
  • Analysis of downstream nucleic acid sensing pathways and type I/III IFN responses.
  • Examination of viral mimicry integration with existing therapies and engineered immune cells.

Main Results:

  • Viral mimicry restores antigen presentation and attracts cytotoxic immune cells by reactivating innate antiviral pathways.
  • This approach sensitizes tumors resistant to immunotherapy.
  • Systemic pathway stimulation may cause inflammation and adaptive resistance, necessitating controlled application.

Conclusions:

  • Viral mimicry offers a promising strategy to enhance anti-tumor immunity and overcome immunotherapy resistance.
  • Further research is needed to address molecular and clinical gaps for optimal therapeutic integration.
  • Controlled viral mimicry can improve tumor-specific immune activation in cancer treatment.
Keywords:
T cellsadaptive immunitycancer immunotherapychimeric antigen receptorclinical trialsepigenetic alterationgenomic instabilityinnate immunitynatural killer cellsneoantigensrepetitive elementsviral mimicry

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