Transposable element regulation and expression in cancer

Authors

Erin E. Grundy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Noor Diab, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Katherine B. Chiappinelli, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

3-1-2022

Journal

The FEBS journal

Volume

289

Issue

5

DOI

10.1111/febs.15722

Keywords

ERVs; LINE-1; LINEs; P53; SINEs; cancer; epigenetics; transposable elements; viral mimicry

Abstract

Approximately 45% of the human genome is composed of transposable elements (TEs). Expression of these elements is tightly regulated during normal development. TEs may be expressed at high levels in embryonic stem cells but are epigenetically silenced in terminally differentiated cells. As part of the global 'epigenetic dysregulation' that cells undergo during transformation from normal to cancer, TEs can lose epigenetic silencing and become transcribed, and, in some cases, active. Here, we summarize recent advances detailing the consequences of TE activation in cancer and describe how these understudied residents of our genome can both aid tumorigenesis and potentially be harnessed for anticancer therapies.

APA Citation

Grundy, Erin E.; Diab, Noor; and Chiappinelli, Katherine B., "Transposable element regulation and expression in cancer" (2022). GW Authored Works. Paper 664.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/664

Department

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine