Downey Ronan F, Sullivan Francis J, Wang-Johanning Feng, Ambs Stefan, Giles Francis J, Glynn Sharon A
Prostate Cancer Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Galway University Hospitals, Galway, Ireland.
Int J Cancer. 2015 Sep 15;137(6):1249-57. doi: 10.1002/ijc.29003. Epub 2014 Jun 17.
Harbored as relics of ancient germline infections, human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) now constitute up to 8% of our genome. A proportion of this sequence has been co-opted for molecular and cellular processes, beneficial to human physiology, such as the fusogenic activity of the envelope protein, a vital component of placentogenesis. However, the discovery of high levels of HERV-K mRNA and protein and even virions in a wide array of cancers has revealed that HERV-K may be playing a more sinister role-a role as an etiological agent in cancer itself. Whether the presence of this retroviral material is simply an epiphenomenon, or an actual causative factor, is a hotly debated topic. This review will summarize the current state of knowledge regarding HERV-K and cancer and attempt to outline the potential mechanisms by which HERV-K could be involved in the onset and promotion of carcinogenesis.
作为古代种系感染的遗迹，人类内源性逆转录病毒（HERV）如今在我们的基因组中所占比例高达8%。其中一部分序列已被用于分子和细胞过程，对人体生理有益，比如包膜蛋白的融合活性，这是胎盘形成的关键组成部分。然而，在多种癌症中发现高水平的HERV-K mRNA和蛋白质，甚至病毒粒子，这表明HERV-K可能扮演着更险恶的角色——作为癌症本身的致病因子。这种逆转录病毒物质的存在究竟只是一种附带现象，还是一个实际的致病因素，是一个备受争议的热门话题。本综述将总结关于HERV-K与癌症的当前知识状态，并试图概述HERV-K可能参与致癌作用起始和促进的潜在机制。
