1
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Kitsou K, Katzourakis A, Magiorkinis G. Limitations of current high-throughput sequencing technologies lead to biased expression estimates of endogenous retroviral elements. NAR Genom Bioinform 2024; 6:lqae081. [PMID: 38984066 PMCID: PMC11231582 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqae081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), the remnants of ancient germline retroviral integrations, comprise almost 8% of the human genome. The elucidation of their biological roles is hampered by our inability to link HERV mRNA and protein production with specific HERV loci. To solve the riddle of the integration-specific RNA expression of HERVs, several bioinformatics approaches have been proposed; however, no single process seems to yield optimal results due to the repetitiveness of HERV integrations. The performance of existing data-bioinformatics pipelines has been evaluated against real world datasets whose true expression profile is unknown, thus the accuracy of widely-used approaches remains unclear. Here, we simulated mRNA production from specific HERV integrations to evaluate second and third generation sequencing technologies along with widely used bioinformatic approaches to estimate the accuracy in describing integration-specific expression. We demonstrate that, while a HERV-family approach offers accurate results, per-integration analyses of HERV expression suffer from substantial expression bias, which is only partially mitigated by algorithms developed for calculating the per-integration HERV expression, and is more pronounced in recent integrations. Hence, this bias could erroneously result into biologically meaningful inferences. Finally, we demonstrate the merits of accurate long-read high-throughput sequencing technologies in the resolution of per-locus HERV expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantina Kitsou
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | | | - Gkikas Magiorkinis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
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2
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Cherkasova EA, Chen L, Childs RW. Mechanistic regulation of HERV activation in tumors and implications for translational research in oncology. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1358470. [PMID: 38379771 PMCID: PMC10877039 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1358470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcription of distinct loci of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) and in some cases, translation of these transcripts have been consistently observed in many types of cancer. It is still debated whether HERV activation serves as a trigger for carcinogenesis or rather occurs as a consequence of epigenetic alterations and other molecular sequelae that characterize cellular transformation. Here we review the known molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of HERV activation in cancer cells as well as its potential contribution to carcinogenesis. Further, we describe the use of HERV expression in cancer diagnostic and characterize the potential of HERV-derived antigens to serve as novel targets for cancer immunotherapy. We believe this review, which summarizes both what is known as well as unknown in this rapidly developing field, will boost interest in research on the therapeutic potential of targeting HERV elements in tumors and the impact of HERV activation in oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Richard W. Childs
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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3
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Dopkins N, Singh B, Michael S, Zhang P, Marston JL, Fei T, Singh M, Feschotte C, Collins N, Bendall ML, Nixon DF. Ribosomal profiling of human endogenous retroviruses in healthy tissues. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:5. [PMID: 38166631 PMCID: PMC10759522 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09909-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are the germline embedded proviral fragments of ancient retroviral infections that make up roughly 8% of the human genome. Our understanding of HERVs in physiology primarily surrounds their non-coding functions, while their protein coding capacity remains virtually uncharacterized. Therefore, we applied the bioinformatic pipeline "hervQuant" to high-resolution ribosomal profiling of healthy tissues to provide a comprehensive overview of translationally active HERVs. We find that HERVs account for 0.1-0.4% of all translation in distinct tissue-specific profiles. Collectively, our study further supports claims that HERVs are actively translated throughout healthy tissues to provide sequences of retroviral origin to the human proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Dopkins
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
| | - Bhavya Singh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Stephanie Michael
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Panpan Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Jez L Marston
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Tongyi Fei
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Manvendra Singh
- Clinical Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Cedric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Nicholas Collins
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Matthew L Bendall
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Douglas F Nixon
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
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4
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Costa B, Vale N. Exploring HERV-K (HML-2) Influence in Cancer and Prospects for Therapeutic Interventions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14631. [PMID: 37834078 PMCID: PMC10572383 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
This review investigates the intricate role of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) in cancer development and progression, explicitly focusing on HERV-K (HML-2). This paper sheds light on the latest research advancements and potential treatment strategies by examining the historical context of HERVs and their involvement in critical biological processes such as embryonic development, immune response, and disease progression. This review covers computational modeling for drug-target binding assessment, systems biology modeling for simulating HERV-K viral cargo dynamics, and using antiviral drugs to combat HERV-induced diseases. The findings presented in this review contribute to our understanding of HERV-mediated disease mechanisms and provide insights into future therapeutic approaches. They emphasize why HERV-K holds significant promise as a biomarker and a target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Costa
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Vale
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
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5
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Agoni L. Alternative and aberrant splicing of human endogenous retroviruses in cancer. What about head and neck? —A mini review. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1019085. [PMID: 36338752 PMCID: PMC9631305 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1019085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are transcribed in many cancer types, including head and neck cancer. Because of accumulating mutations at proviral loci over evolutionary time, HERVs are functionally defective and cannot complete their viral life cycle. Despite that, HERV transcripts, including full-length viral RNAs and viral RNAs spliced as expected at the conventional viral splice sites, can be detected in particular conditions, such as cancer. Interestingly, non-viral–related transcription, including aberrant, non-conventionally spliced RNAs, has been reported as well. The role of HERV transcription in cancer and its contribution to oncogenesis or progression are still debated. Nonetheless, HERVs may constitute a suitable cancer biomarker or a target for therapy. Thus, ongoing research aims both to clarify the basic mechanisms underlying HERV transcription in cancer and to exploit its potential toward clinical application. In this mini-review, we summarize the current knowledge, the most recent findings, and the future perspectives of research on HERV transcription and splicing, with particular focus on head and neck cancer.
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6
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Müller MD, Holst PJ, Nielsen KN. A Systematic Review of Expression and Immunogenicity of Human Endogenous Retroviral Proteins in Cancer and Discussion of Therapeutic Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031330. [PMID: 35163254 PMCID: PMC8836156 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral infections that have become fixed in the human genome. While HERV genes are typically silenced in healthy somatic cells, there are numerous reports of HERV transcription and translation across a wide spectrum of cancers, while T and B cell responses against HERV proteins have been detected in cancer patients. This review systematically categorizes the published evidence on the expression of and adaptive immune response against specific HERVs in distinct cancer types. A systematic literature search was performed using Medical Search Headings (MeSH) in the PubMed/Medline database. Papers were included if they described the translational activity of HERVs. We present multiple tables that pair the protein expression of specific HERVs and cancer types with information on the quality of the evidence. We find that HERV-K is the most investigated HERV. HERV-W (syncytin-1) is the second-most investigated, while other HERVs have received less attention. From a therapeutic perspective, HERV-K and HERV-E are the only HERVs with experimental demonstration of effective targeted therapies, but unspecific approaches using antiviral and demethylating agents in combination with chemo- and immunotherapies have also been investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel Dons Müller
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark;
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7
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Chen Z, He X. Application of third-generation sequencing in cancer research. MEDICAL REVIEW (BERLIN, GERMANY) 2021; 1:150-171. [PMID: 37724303 PMCID: PMC10388785 DOI: 10.1515/mr-2021-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
In the past several years, nanopore sequencing technology from Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) and single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology from Pacific BioSciences (PacBio) have become available to researchers and are currently being tested for cancer research. These methods offer many advantages over most widely used high-throughput short-read sequencing approaches and allow the comprehensive analysis of transcriptomes by identifying full-length splice isoforms and several other posttranscriptional events. In addition, these platforms enable structural variation characterization at a previously unparalleled resolution and direct detection of epigenetic marks in native DNA and RNA. Here, we present a comprehensive summary of important applications of these technologies in cancer research, including the identification of complex structure variants, alternatively spliced isoforms, fusion transcript events, and exogenous RNA. Furthermore, we discuss the impact of the newly developed nanopore direct RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) approach in advancing epitranscriptome research in cancer. Although the unique challenges still present for these new single-molecule long-read methods, they will unravel many aspects of cancer genome complexity in unprecedented ways and present an encouraging outlook for continued application in an increasing number of different cancer research settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiao Chen
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianghuo He
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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8
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Dervan E, Bhattacharyya DD, McAuliffe JD, Khan FH, Glynn SA. Ancient Adversary - HERV-K (HML-2) in Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:658489. [PMID: 34055625 PMCID: PMC8155577 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.658489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV), ancient integrations of exogenous viruses, make up 8% of our genome. Long thought of as mere vestigial genetic elements, evidence is now accumulating to suggest a potential functional role in numerous pathologies including neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune disorders, and multiple cancers. The youngest member of this group of transposable elements is HERV-K (HML-2). Like the majority of HERV sequences, significant post-insertional mutations have disarmed HERV-K (HML-2), preventing it from producing infectious viral particles. However, some insertions have retained limited coding capacity, and complete open reading frames for all its constituent proteins can be found throughout the genome. For this reason HERV-K (HML-2) has garnered more attention than its peers. The tight epigenetic control thought to suppress expression in healthy tissue is lost during carcinogenesis. Upregulation of HERV-K (HML-2) derived mRNA and protein has been reported in a variety of solid and liquid tumour types, and while causality has yet to be established, progressively more data are emerging to suggest this phenomenon may contribute to tumour growth and metastatic capacity. Herein we discuss its potential utility as a diagnostic tool and therapeutic target in light of the current in vitro, in vivo and clinical evidence linking HERV-K (HML-2) to tumour progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eoin Dervan
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Galway, Ireland
| | - Dibyangana D Bhattacharyya
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Galway, Ireland.,Laboratory of Cancer ImmunoMetabolism, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Jake D McAuliffe
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Galway, Ireland
| | - Faizan H Khan
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Galway, Ireland
| | - Sharon A Glynn
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Galway, Ireland
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9
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Padmanabhan Nair V, Liu H, Ciceri G, Jungverdorben J, Frishman G, Tchieu J, Cederquist GY, Rothenaigner I, Schorpp K, Klepper L, Walsh RM, Kim TW, Cornacchia D, Ruepp A, Mayer J, Hadian K, Frishman D, Studer L, Vincendeau M. Activation of HERV-K(HML-2) disrupts cortical patterning and neuronal differentiation by increasing NTRK3. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:1566-1581.e8. [PMID: 33951478 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The biological function and disease association of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are largely elusive. HERV-K(HML-2) has been associated with neurotoxicity, but there is no clear understanding of its role or mechanistic basis. We addressed the physiological functions of HERV-K(HML-2) in neuronal differentiation using CRISPR engineering to activate or repress its expression levels in a human-pluripotent-stem-cell-based system. We found that elevated HERV-K(HML-2) transcription is detrimental for the development and function of cortical neurons. These effects are cell-type-specific, as dopaminergic neurons are unaffected. Moreover, high HERV-K(HML-2) transcription alters cortical layer formation in forebrain organoids. HERV-K(HML-2) transcriptional activation leads to hyperactivation of NTRK3 expression and other neurodegeneration-related genes. Direct activation of NTRK3 phenotypically resembles HERV-K(HML-2) induction, and reducing NTRK3 levels in context of HERV-K(HML-2) induction restores cortical neuron differentiation. Hence, these findings unravel a cell-type-specific role for HERV-K(HML-2) in cortical neuron development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hengyuan Liu
- Department of Genome-Oriented Bioinformatics, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Gabriele Ciceri
- Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Johannes Jungverdorben
- Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Goar Frishman
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jason Tchieu
- Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gustav Y Cederquist
- Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ina Rothenaigner
- Assay Development and Screening Platform, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Kenji Schorpp
- Assay Development and Screening Platform, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Lena Klepper
- Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ryan M Walsh
- Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tae Wan Kim
- Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniela Cornacchia
- Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andreas Ruepp
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jens Mayer
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany
| | - Kamyar Hadian
- Assay Development and Screening Platform, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Dmitrij Frishman
- Department of Genome-Oriented Bioinformatics, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lorenz Studer
- Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Vincendeau
- Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany; Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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10
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Engel K, Wieland L, Krüger A, Volkmer I, Cynis H, Emmer A, Staege MS. Identification of Differentially Expressed Human Endogenous Retrovirus Families in Human Leukemia and Lymphoma Cell Lines and Stem Cells. Front Oncol 2021; 11:637981. [PMID: 33996550 PMCID: PMC8117144 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.637981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are becoming more and more relevant in cancer research and might be potential targets. The oncogenic potential of human ERVs (HERVs) has been recognized and includes immunosuppression, cell fusion, antigenicity of viral proteins, and regulation of neighboring genes. To decipher the role of HERVs in human cancers, we used a bioinformatics approach and analyzed RNA sequencing data from the LL-100 panel, covering 22 entities of hematopoietic neoplasias including T cell, B cell and myeloid malignancies. We compared HERV expression in this panel with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and normal blood cells. RNA sequencing data were mapped against a comprehensive synthetic viral metagenome with 116 HERV sequences from 14 different HERV families. Of these, 13 HERV families and elements were differently expressed in malignant hematopoietic cells and stem cells. We found transcriptional upregulation of HERVE family in acute megakaryocytic and erythroid leukemia and of HERVFc family in multiple myeloma/plasma cell leukemia (PCL). The HERVFc member HERVFc-1 was found transcriptionally active in the multiple myeloma cell line OPM-2 and also in the Hodgkin lymphoma cell line L-428. The expression of HERVFc-1 in L-428 cells was validated by qRT-PCR. We also confirm transcriptional downregulation of ERV3 in acute megakaryocytic and erythroid leukemia, and HERVK in acute monocytic and myelocytic leukemia and a depression of HERVF in all malignant entities. Most of the higher expressed HERV families could be detected in stem cells including HERVK (HML-2), HERV-like, HERVV, HERVT, ERV9, HERVW, HERVF, HERVMER, ERV3, HERVH and HERVPABLB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Engel
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Lisa Wieland
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Anna Krüger
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Ines Volkmer
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Holger Cynis
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle, Germany
| | - Alexander Emmer
- Department of Neurology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Martin S Staege
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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11
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Gao Y, Yu XF, Chen T. Human endogenous retroviruses in cancer: Expression, regulation and function. Oncol Lett 2020; 21:121. [PMID: 33552242 PMCID: PMC7798031 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.12382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are the remnants of ancient retroviruses that infected human germline cells and became integrated into the human genome millions of years ago. Although most of these sequences are incomplete and silent, several potential pathological roles of HERVs have been observed in numerous diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and especially cancer, including breast cancer and pancreatic carcinoma. The present review investigates the expression signatures and complex regulatory mechanisms of HERVs in cancer. The long terminal repeats-driven transcriptional initiation of HERVs are regulated by transcription factors (such as Sp3) and epigenetic modifications (such as DNA methylation), and are influenced by environmental factors (such as ultraviolet radiation). In addition, this review focuses on the dual opposing effects of HERVs in cancer. HERVs can suppress cancer via immune activation; however, they can also promote cancer. HERV env gene serves a prime role in promoting carcinogenesis in certain malignant tumors, including breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, germ cell tumors, leukemia and Kaposi's sarcoma. Also, HERV ENV proteins can promote cancer via immune suppression. Targeting ENV proteins is a potential future antitumor treatment modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Gao
- Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zheijang 310009, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Fang Yu
- Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zheijang 310009, P.R. China
| | - Ting Chen
- Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zheijang 310009, P.R. China
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12
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Tatkiewicz W, Dickie J, Bedford F, Jones A, Atkin M, Kiernan M, Maze EA, Agit B, Farnham G, Kanapin A, Belshaw R. Correction to: Characterising a human endogenous retrovirus(HERV)-derived tumour-associated antigen: enriched RNA-Seq analysis of HERV-K(HML-2) in mantle cell lymphoma cell lines. Mob DNA 2020; 11:31. [PMID: 33292541 PMCID: PMC7702706 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-020-00226-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Witold Tatkiewicz
- Peninsula Medical School, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - James Dickie
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Franchesca Bedford
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Alexander Jones
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Mark Atkin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Michele Kiernan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Emmanuel Atangana Maze
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Bora Agit
- Peninsula Medical School, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Garry Farnham
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Alexander Kanapin
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Current address: Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Robert Belshaw
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.
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13
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Human Endogenous Retrovirus K in Cancer: A Potential Biomarker and Immunotherapeutic Target. Viruses 2020; 12:v12070726. [PMID: 32640516 PMCID: PMC7412025 DOI: 10.3390/v12070726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In diseases where epigenetic mechanisms are changed, such as cancer, many genes show altered gene expression and inhibited genes become activated. Human endogenous retrovirus type K (HERV-K) expression is usually inhibited in normal cells from healthy adults. In tumor cells, however, HERV-K mRNA expression has been frequently documented to increase. Importantly, HERV-K-derived proteins can act as tumor-specific antigens, a class of neoantigens, and induce immune responses in different types of cancer. In this review, we describe the function of the HERV-K HML-2 subtype in carcinogenesis as biomarkers, and their potential as targets for cancer immunotherapy.
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