Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Transactivation Of Human Endogenous Retroviruses By Tumor Viruses And Their Functions In Virus-Associated Malignancies., Jungang Chen, Maryam Foroozesh, Zhiqiang Qin

Faculty and Staff Publications

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), viral-associated sequences, are normal components of the human genome and account for 8–9% of our genome. These original provirus sequences can be transactivated to produce functional products. Several reactivated HERVs have been implicated in cancers and autoimmune diseases. An emerging body of literature supports a potential role of reactivated HERVs in viral diseases, in particular viral-associated neoplasms. Demystifying studies on the mechanism(s) of HERV reactivation could provide a new framework for the development of treatment and prevention strategies targeting virus-associated tumors. Although available data suggest that coinfection by other viruses, such as Kaposi’s Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) …