This review highlights how transposable elements challenge the perception of junk DNA, demonstrating their roles in cancer, suggesting significant therapeutic implications.
Transposable elements (TEs) - long considered 'junk DNA' - challenge the binary of threat and therapeutic opportunity in cancer. Their reactivation is not a singular event but a convergence of evolutionary legacy, regulatory disruption, and technological insight. This review synthesizes a growing body of work that positions TEs as both catalysts and antagonists of the tumor state. Across regulatory control, viral mimicry, protein-coding potential, and antigen presentation, TEs blur the line between harm and utility. Each example reflects a broader theme: context defines consequence. By tracing historical shifts and technological advances, we argue for an integrated view: one where TEs are not just anomalies, but dynamic agents in the complexity of cancer.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Grinwald et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: