Using Ancient Viruses to Fight Prostate Cancer: The Power of Viral Mimicry

Prostate cancer is a significant threat to men worldwide, with an estimated 288,300 new cases in 2023. However, there may be a new hope for treatment thanks to cancer researchers harnessing ancient viruses buried in humans’ evolutionary past. Scientists at the Sanford Burnham Prebys have found a way to reactivate endogenous retroviruses in cancer cells by interfering with the enzyme, tricking the immune system into attacking the cancer cells as if they were viruses. Known as viral mimicry, this technique has shown promising results against breast cancer and could be applied to other treatment-resistant forms, including prostate cancer. Despite the potential of endogenous retroviruses being “a curse” and being linked to cancer, they have become crucial components of human abilities such as reproduction. The department of defense has already granted $1.7 million to the team to continue their research and develop new drugs necessary for effective and safe clinical trials. With the team hoping to have a drug available for the clinic in the next three years, this novel approach offers an innovative solution to one of the most common forms of cancer in men.