Endogenous retrovirus activation: potential for immunology and clinical applications.

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) make up approximately 8% of the human genome and have important roles in human evolution, development, and diseases. Reactivating ERVs can enhance tumor immunogenicity and trigger immune responses against cancer cells. ERVs can also be used to develop mRNA delivery systems and tumor-specific expression vectors for clinical therapy. The reactivation of ERVs shows promise for clinical and immunological applications. [Extracted from the article]