Medicine’s Next Big Breakthrough: Tapping Hidden Viruses in Human DNA for Cures
Our genomes are strange archives—nearly half of the human DNA isn't “ours” in the traditional sense but originates from ancient viruses. These remnants, known as Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) and other Transposable Elements (TEs), were once dismissed as “junk” DNA. But modern science is revealing them to be anything but irrelevant. Recent breakthroughs show that these viral relics are active players—regulating genes, influencing immunity, and even holding therapeutic potential in diseases like cancer, neurodegeneration, and beyond. --- 2. From Junk DNA to Regulatory Gold For decades, TEs and HERVs were labeled “junk,” yet a groundbreaking study published in Science Advances (July 2025) uncovered that nearly half of the human genome consists of TEs, many sourced from ancient viruses. A focused investigation on one family—MER11, particularly the youngest subgroup MER11_G4—revealed their transcription factor binding sites can actively switch on genes in stem and early neural c...