In this Review, Jones et al. present the evidence that epigenetic therapies can induce the expression of endogenous retroviruses and cancer–testis antigens normally silenced by DNA methylation in most somatic cells. As a consequence, a state of viral mimicry is evoked in cancer cells, leading to an innate immune response. Understanding this process has implications for combination therapy with epigenetic drugs and immunotherapies to improve clinical outcomes for patients with cancer.
- Peter A. Jones
- Hitoshi Ohtani
- Daniel D. De Carvalho