New research reveals that the body's ancient viruses aid in the growth of cancer cells.

According to a study published in Science Advances, DNA fragments from ancient viruses may encourage the growth of cancer cells. A retrovirus inserted into human DNA thirty million years ago produced the LTR10 gene, which is active in a variety of cancers. Silencing these sequences may open up new therapeutic options for cancer.

The development of cancer cells in the body is a multifactorial biological process that is influenced by a number of factors. According to a recent study, DNA from extinct viruses can promote the development of cancer cells.

According to a study that was published in the journal Science Advances, DNA fragments from viruses function as switches for genes that promote the growth of tumors.

Gene LTR10

Researchers discovered that LTR10, a DNA fragment derived from viruses, was present in several cancers, including stomach, lung, colorectal, and bile duct cancers.

LTR10 is derived from a retrovirus that, according to the researchers, entered the human genome 30 million years ago and assisted in activating multiple genes linked to cancer. "How disease manifests today has been shaped by the activity of these [virus fragments] from many millions of years ago," said Dr. Chuong, Ph.D. of the University of Colorado Boulder's BioFrontiers Institute.