Endogenous retroviruses and human cancer: is there anything to the rumors?

Neeru Bhardwaj; John M Coffin

doi:10.1016/j.chom.2014.02.013

Endogenous retroviruses and human cancer: is there anything to the rumors?

Cell Host Microbe. 2014 Mar 12;15(3):255-9. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2014.02.013.

Authors

Neeru Bhardwaj¹, John M Coffin²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Graduate Program in Molecular Microbiology, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
² Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Graduate Program in Molecular Microbiology, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA. Electronic address: john.coffin@tufts.edu.

PMID: 24629332
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2014.02.013

Abstract

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) infection was incorrectly associated with prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in recent years. In this forum, we discuss the story of XMRV and how we can apply lessons learned here to inform the debate surrounding cancers associated with human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs).

MeSH terms

Humans
Neoplasms / etiology*
Neoplasms / virology*
Retroviridae Infections / complications*
Retroviridae Infections / virology*
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus / isolation & purification*

Grants and funding

R01 CA089441/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States