Cancer growth can be fueled by flecks of ancient viral DNA lodged into the genetics of modern humans, a new study says.
Overall, about 8% of the human genome is made of bits of DNA left behind by viruses that infected our primate ancestors, researchers say.
Called “endogenous retroviruses,” these DNA fragments have long been considered harmless junk littering the modern human genetic profile, researchers said.
But new research shows that when reawakened, these ancient viral strands can help cancer survive and thrive, researchers reported July 17 in the journal Science Advances.
What’s more, shutting up these viral voices from the past can make cancer treatments more effective, researchers found.
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“Our study shows that diseases today can be significantly influenced by these ancient viral infections that until recently very few researchers were paying attention to,” said senior researcher Edward Chuong.
Eons ago, viruses baked their DNA into humans by infiltrating sperm, eggs and embryos, shaping human evolution along the way.
While these genetic vestiges can no longer produce functional viruses, they can activate nearby human genes in ways that could affect health, researchers said.
