Transposable Element Activation: A Hallmark of Cancer

Authors

• Katherine B. Chiappinelli, George Washington University Washington, DC United States.
• Kathleen H. Burns, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston, MA United States.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

4-17-2026

Journal

Cancer discovery

DOI

10.1158/2159-8290.CD-25-2164

Abstract

Transposable elements (TEs), mobile DNA sequences that can move independently about the genome, make up about half of the human genome and are mostly silenced by epigenetic modifications in healthy differentiated cells. Global epigenetic dysregulation during oncogenic transformation causes TE expression, contributing to transcriptional rewiring and TE activity as insertional mutagens. TE nucleic acids are sensed in the cytoplasm, initiating inflammation that can be therapeutically manipulated to activate anti-tumor immune responses. Here we detail how TEs contribute to six of the classic hallmarks of cancer and propose widespread TE expression and activation as a new hallmark of cancer.

APA Citation

Chiappinelli, Katherine B. and Burns, Kathleen H., "Transposable Element Activation: A Hallmark of Cancer" (2026). GW Authored Works. Paper 9045.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/9045

Department

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine