Impacts of Endogenous Retroviruses on Tumorigenesis, Immunity, Stem Cells, and Research Safety

The human genome contains a category of repeat sequences referred to as human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), which occupies up to 8% of the nucleotide sequences. HERVs have mutated and/or fragmented provirus structures of once-infectious retroviruses, and have lost their ability to replicate or transpose. Nonetheless, proteins encoded by different types of HERVs still show biological activities in various modes, and most of the regulatory regions termed “long terminal repeats” (LTRs) preserve the function as a promoter–enhancer region. Release from epigenetic silencing and activation of transcription factors can cause “awakening” of HERVs and LTRs involved in tumorigenesis, self-defense, and tissue development. This research topic is a compilation of unique reviews on HERVs and mouse endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) and original articles indicating new insights into HERVs.