Exploring HERV-K (HML-2) Influence in Cancer and Prospects for Therapeutic Interventions

Bárbara Costa; Nuno Vale

doi:10.3390/ijms241914631

Exploring HERV-K (HML-2) Influence in Cancer and Prospects for Therapeutic Interventions

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Sep 27;24(19):14631. doi: 10.3390/ijms241914631.

Authors

Bárbara Costa^{1

2

3}, Nuno Vale^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.
² CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal.
³ 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.

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.

Keywords: HERV-K (HML-2); antiviral drugs; cancer; human endogenous retrovirus; viral infection.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Endogenous Retroviruses*
Humans
Neoplasms* / virology
Tumor Virus Infections* / virology

Grants and funding

This research was financed by Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) funds through the COMPETE 2020 Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) in the framework of projects IF/00092/2014/CP1 the delicate balance between 142 immune 5/CT0004 and CHAIR in Onco-Innovation from Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto (FMUP).