Ancient virus holds potential for lung cancer treatment.

Scientists from the Francis Crick Institute have found that endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), which are remnants of ancient viruses that remain in human DNA, can be awoken in cancer tissue and evoke an immune response from B cells, which are white blood cells that create illness-busting antibodies. This discovery puts scientists closer to creating more effective treatments for lung cancer, and with more research, they could look to develop a cancer treatment vaccine made up of activated ERV genes to boost antibody production at the site of the patient's cancer and hopefully improve the outcome of immunotherapy treatment.