Overview of Mechanisms by Which HERV-K102 Trained Innate Immunity May Counteract the Replication of Enveloped RNA Pandemic Viruses
2022 07-02
HERV-K102 Particles Being Produced and Generating Foamy Macrophages in Cultured Human Cord Blood Mononuclear Cells. Release of HERV-K102 particles is by cell lysis on day 6-7. A rare multi-nucleated cell is seen.
I have attached for your convenience, an overview of how HERV-K102 may protect against enveloped RNA pandemic viruses like HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 without recognizing any HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 virus specific antigens.
This lack of recognition of virus specific antigens means the HERV-K102 system cannot ‘select’ for immune escape variants, perfect when combating an emerging or pandemic RNA virus. Note that innate antibodies to HERV-K102 envelope, an autoantigen expressed on virally infected cells but not on normal healthy cells, may not only kill the virus infected cell directly (without ADCC or complement) but may also neutralize and clear HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 virions (because these virions bud through the cell surface membrane and pick up the HERV-K102 envelope in the process see diagram in the pdf).