Current cancer therapy needs innovative approaches forthe identification of new targets in order to overcome tumor aggressiveness, immunosuppression, and drug resistance. Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) have been demonstrated to be potential causative elements or co-factors contributing to the onset and progression of cancer in humans. ERVs drive tumorigenesis through different mechanisms, such as genomic instability and mutagenesis, activation of downstream oncogenes, expression of oncogenic ERV-K proteins, their fusogenic and immunosuppressive activity, as well as the alteration of cellular checkpoints. Moreover, in their dynamic regulation, ERVs are important inducers of the immune response as well as key determinants of pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells, and have been associated with the cancer stemness phenotype thus sustaining tumorigenesis and cancer aggressiveness. In this landscape, ERVs have been recognized as potential cancer hallmarks, and could represent novel disease biomarkers and therapeutic opportunities as targets.
This Research Topic focuses on ERVs in cancer relating to in vitro and in vivo research, including pre-clinical and clinical studies, with an emphasis on the potential use of ERVs as targets for therapy and biomarkers of disease and response to therapy. We welcome Original Research, Clinical Trials, Hypothesis and Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Perspective and Review articles focused, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Biomarkers and therapeutic targets
- ERV role in therapy resistance
- ERVs and immunotherapy
- Oncogenic mechanisms and the interaction with cancer cellular machinery
- Cancer cell stemness, phenotype switching and plasticity
- Busting immune response by ERV activation
- Modulation of ERV activity by epigenetic mechanisms
Current cancer therapy needs innovative approaches forthe identification of new targets in order to overcome tumor aggressiveness, immunosuppression, and drug resistance. Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) have been demonstrated to be potential causative elements or co-factors contributing to the onset and progression of cancer in humans. ERVs drive tumorigenesis through different mechanisms, such as genomic instability and mutagenesis, activation of downstream oncogenes, expression of oncogenic ERV-K proteins, their fusogenic and immunosuppressive activity, as well as the alteration of cellular checkpoints. Moreover, in their dynamic regulation, ERVs are important inducers of the immune response as well as key determinants of pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells, and have been associated with the cancer stemness phenotype thus sustaining tumorigenesis and cancer aggressiveness. In this landscape, ERVs have been recognized as potential cancer hallmarks, and could represent novel disease biomarkers and therapeutic opportunities as targets.
This Research Topic focuses on ERVs in cancer relating to in vitro and in vivo research, including pre-clinical and clinical studies, with an emphasis on the potential use of ERVs as targets for therapy and biomarkers of disease and response to therapy. We welcome Original Research, Clinical Trials, Hypothesis and Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Perspective and Review articles focused, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Biomarkers and therapeutic targets
- ERV role in therapy resistance
- ERVs and immunotherapy
- Oncogenic mechanisms and the interaction with cancer cellular machinery
- Cancer cell stemness, phenotype switching and plasticity
- Busting immune response by ERV activation
- Modulation of ERV activity by epigenetic mechanisms
