Dr. Paul N. Nelson Reader in Biomedical Sciences Research Institute in Healthcare Science University of Wolverhampton pan.nelson@wiv.ac.uk Programme ‘Phytotherapy for Auto-immune Disease’ The Presence and Role of Human Endogenous Retroviruses in Autoimmunity Viruses and Retroviruses = Human Endogenous Revoviruses (HERVs) 1 Autoimmunity (Focus on Rheumatoid Artis) 1 HERVs and Rheumatoid Arthritis [Current and future work using a HERV cell culture system to analyse herbal tinctures) The Presence and Role of Human Endogenous Retroviruses in ‘Autoimmunity Viruses and Retroviruses Viruses = DNAeg. EBV ERNAeg.HIV-1: exogenous, viral budding i ae e Retroviruses Virus size 80-100 nm in diameter Small genome, uses frame shifts and alternative spicing to generat precursor proteins = Requires @ complimentary grew DNA (¢DNA) intormedtate before integration; ¥ ‘dependent on a reverse transcriptase enzyme within its po geneRetrovirus Structure ‘The Presence and Role of Human Endogenous Retroviruses in Autoimmunity Viruses and Retroviruses. 1 Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) Human Endogenous Retroviruses «= Remnants of previous retroviral infections that have been I into te human genome (coined fosel viruses 1 Over 80 HERV families, ange frm single-copy {2 'mutoopy vruses Le evidence of repieaton + Conattuta 8% of ganome (part ofthe ‘Fansposable elements tat make up 46% of genome DNA). ‘Schematic HERV Time-Line Genomic DNA © 3 billion base pairs 20-25,000 genes 23 pairs of chromosomes: * Division of human > Human Endogenous Retroviruses « Passed through the germiine and inherited in a ‘Mendelian manner «= Similar genomie organisation to HIV (ama aT ema] « Possible friend! (symbiotic relationship) or Yoo (implicated in autoimmune diseases and cancer)