Objectives: To update information on endogenous retroviral sequences and discuss their role in systemic autoimmune disease.
Data Sources: Articles retrieved after MEDLINE search and personal communications and cooperation with the Institute of Virology.
Data Synthesis: There are 2 modes of pathogenetic mechanisms through which endogenous retroviral sequences could cause systemic autoimmune disease: expression of endogenous retroviral gene products sharing antigenic determinants with cellular proteins; and activation or destruction of cellular genes as a consequence of insertional mutagenesis. Both mechanisms have been demonstrated in vitro and in vivo in animal models.
Conclusion: Investigations on endogenous retroviral sequences in humans may offer new insights into the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease.
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Microorganisms
November 2024
Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is one of the fastest-growing cancers worldwide, lacking established causal factors or validated early diagnostics. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), comprising 8% of human genomes, have potential as PTC biomarkers due to their comparably high baseline expression in healthy thyroid tissues, indicating homeostatic roles. However, HERV regions are often overlooked in genome-wide association studies because of their highly repetitive nature, low sequence coverage, and decreased sequencing quality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
December 2024
Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02114, USA.
The pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived human primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) are a cell culture-derived surrogate model of embryonic primordial germ cells. Upon differentiation of PSCs to PGCLCs, multiple loci of HML-2, the hominoid-specific human endogenous retrovirus (HERV), are strongly activated, which is necessary for PSC differentiation to PGCLCs. In PSCs, strongly activated loci of HERV-H family HERVs create chromatin contacts, which are required for the pluripotency.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
December 2024
Faculty of Medicine, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, Croatia.
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are genomic fragments integrated into human DNA from germline infections by exogenous retroviruses that threatened primates early in their evolution and are inherited vertically in the germline. So far, HERVs have been studied in the context of extensive immunopathogenic, neuropathogenic and even oncogenic effects within their host. In particular, in our paper, we elaborate on the aspects related to the possible correlation of transposable HERV elements' activation and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein's presence in cells of COVID-19 patients or upon COVID-19 vaccination with implications for natural and adaptive immunity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and other naïve pluripotent stem cells can reverse typical developmental trajectories and, at low frequency, de-differentiate into 2-cell-like cells (2CLCs) that resemble the mammalian embryo during zygotic genome activation (ZGA). This affords the opportunity to reveal molecular principles that govern the pre-implantation stages of mammalian development. We leveraged a multipurpose allele for acute protein depletion and efficient immunoprecipitation to dissect the molecular functions of the chromatin repressor EHMT2, a candidate antagonist of the mESC-to-2CLC transition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Immunother Cancer
January 2025
Immunology Department, State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
Background: Therapeutic efficacy of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells against colorectal cancer (CRC) remains limited due to the unique characteristics and distinct microenvironments of tumor tissues. We modified CEA-specific CAR-T cells, aiming to stimulate endogenous CD8 T cell responses against neoantigens that were derived from CEA-positive tumors destroyed by the CAR T cells.
Methods: In a conventional CEA CAR (reg-CAR), we modified it to express lymphotactin XCL1 and interleukin (IL)-7 genes, constructing a modified 7XCL1-CAR.
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