<em>Mycobacterium paratuberculosis</em>: A HERV Turn-On for Autoimmunity, Neurodegeneration, and Cancer?

• DOI: 10.20944/preprints202402.0632.v2
• Publication Date: 2024-02-20T07:07:28Z
• Authors: Coad Thomas Dow; Ellen S. Pierce; Leonardo Antonio ...

Abstract: Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) are remnants of ancient retroviral infections that, over millions years, became integrated into the human genome. While normally inactive, environmental stimuli such as have contributed to transcriptional reactivation HERV promoting pathological conditions including development autoimmunity, neurodegenerative disease and cancer. What then trigger activation? Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is a pluripotent driver disease. Aside from granulomatous diseases Crohn’s, sarcoidosis Blau syndrome, MAP associated with autoimmune disease: type one diabetes (T1D), multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis thyroiditis. also Parkinson’s Autoimmune diabetes, strongest MAP/HERV association. There several other activation whose epidemiology and/or pathology would prompt speculation for causal role MAP. These include non-solar uveal melanoma, colon cancer, glioblastoma amyotrophic lateral (ALS). This article further points infection contributor cancer via unsilencing HERV. We examine link between ever-increasing number MAP- diseases, intersection these diverse medical propose treatment opportunities based upon this