HERV-K102 replicates associated with infections by bloodborne viruses, including HIV-1.

What is it about?

Serendipitously, we found that foamy macrophages contain high levels of a foamy-like virus which was characterized as HERV-K102 (Laderoute MP et al., 2015). The significance of this was explored on clinical samples, where HIV-1 patients had the highest rate and magnitude of antibodies to HERV-K102 Env (SU). Particles (which predictably contained cDNA and not RNA) were commonly found in patients infected with bloodborne viruses, but interestingly maximum levels for HIV-1 patients were about 7-8 log fold downregulated compared with patients with other bloodborne pathogens. These results implied there was a special antagonistic relationship between HERV-K102 and HIV-1, showed HERV-K102 replicates in vivo, and that HERV-K102 responses might be protective.

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Why is it important?

This was the first evidence to imply the existence of a replication competent HERV-K HML-2 virus in humans which appeared to involve protection against viruses, especially HIV-1. Also as the genomes were DNA instead of RNA implied HERV-K102 might be a protective foamy virus of humans. Most investigators use DNAse and purify RNA from plasma, meaning they were unlikely to discover this novel protector virus. Also they use different media for culture which blocks the generation of foamy macrophages.

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