Approximately 1% of the human genome is composed of the remnants retroviruses, these are viruses insert their genes into the DNA of an infected cell and from there code and release the replicated virus. Human endogenous retroviral elements (HERVs)
are retroviral genes that have been permanently incorporated into the genome, they date back millions of years to the earliest primates and are also present in the DNA of gorillas and chimpanzees.
Some HERVs have been associated with cancer, for example some testicular cancers overexpress HERV-K proteins. Recent work (Boese et al., 2000) suggests that cORF, a proten coded by HERV-K genes may play a causal role in cancer. The cORF protein was
found to bind to PLZF, a protein which would otherwise inhibit cell growth. Mice with cells injected with the cORF gene were found to develop tumours.
Selected references
Boese A, et al. Human endogenous retrovirus protein cORF supports cell transformation and associates with the promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein. Oncogene 2000 Sep 7;19(38):4328-4336 Related articles (PubMed)
Herbst H, et al. Human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-K transcripts in gonadoblastomas and gonadoblastoma-derived germ cell tumours. Virchows Arch 1999 Jan;434(1):11-5 Related articles (PubMed)
Herbst H, et al. Human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-K transcripts in germ cell and trophoblastic tumours. APMIS 1998 Jan;106(1):216-20 Related articles (PubMed)
Herbst H, et al. Expression of human endogenous retrovirus K elements in germ cell and trophoblastic tumors. Am J Pathol 1996 Nov;149(5):1727-35 Related articles (PubMed)
Tonjes RR, et al. HERV-K: the biologically most active human endogenous retrovirus family. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol 1996;13 Suppl 1:S261-7 Related articles (PubMed)
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 Viruses and Cancer
Topic last revised: 14/09/2000
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The Enemy Within - Endogenous Retrovirus Sequences