Retroviruses make up no less than 5% of our genetic material , although it has always been considered "junk DNA", that is, useless, filler. Error: as a study carried out at the University of Lund (Sweden) points out, these endogenous microorganisms play a fundamental role in our brain.
“We have observed that viruses are specifically activated in brain cells and that they have a regulatory function . It could explain why neurons are so dynamic and versatile, and why humans are so different from other species ”, explains Johan Jakobsson, head of the team that carried out the study.
And what is the cause of their being activated specifically in the brain? Probably because tumors do not develop in nerve cells, unlike what happens in other tissues.
This finding opens new paths to the treatment and prevention of tumors , neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders of genetic origin, since regions of the DNA that were previously considered irrelevant from the pathological point of view will be taken into account.
