{
  "abstract": "The cis-regulatory potential of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) that have accumulated in our genome affects diverse host processes, including embryonic development and malignancy, where HERV epigenetic control is reduced. Non–small cell lung cancer optimal growth requires cancer cell–intrinsic expression of the calcium-binding protein calbindin under the control of a HERVH integrant on chromosome 8q21.3. Chimeric transcription of HERVH and CALB1 , encoding calbindin, is also observed in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs), but its significance remained uncertain. Here, we show that HERVH integration on 8q21.3 during Homininae evolution coincides with acquisition of expression of CALB1 in preimplantation embryos. We further show that CALB1 expression is critical for human ESC growth and the prevention of cellular senescence and for the formation of ESC-derived preimplantation blastoids and postgastrulation amnioids. Thus, the co-option of HERVH 8q21.3 cis-regulatory activity in lung cancer may echo its essential requirement for human embryo development.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Retroviral Immunology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.",
    "Human Embryo and Stem Cell Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.",
    "Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.",
    "Department of Physics, King’s College London, London, UK.",
    "Quantitative Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.",
    "Stem Cells and Organoids Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.",
    "Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK.",
    "Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK.",
    "Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK.",
    "Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK."
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 15,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Judith Pape",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4225-5568"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Afshan McCarthy"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Eduardo Serna-Morales",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5906-4127"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Borzo Gharibi",
      "orcid": "0009-0002-9379-3929"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Tobias Plowman",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0413-0975"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Elias Copin",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6831-5568"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Rachael Thompson"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Laura Doglio"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Ruta Meleckyte-Martinez",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1305-8821"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Lyn Healy",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7044-8789"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Sara Tamagno",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-0386-3788"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Alberto Elosegui-Artola",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0644-3294"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Silvia D. M. Santos",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2906-7888"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        6,
        7,
        8
      ],
      "name": "Kathy K. Niakan",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1646-4734"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        9
      ],
      "name": "George Kassiotis",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8457-2633"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9knbwf2cj58zy.bib",
  "cited_by": 1,
  "doi": "10.1126/sciadv.aee4523",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "9knbwf2cj58zy",
  "issns": [
    "2375-2548"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aee4523",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1110|Chromosomal and Genetic Variations"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220852053",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-09",
  "publisher": "American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9knbwf2cj58zy.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:41Z",
      "native_id": "10.1126/sciadv.aee4523",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aee4523"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1110|Chromosomal and Genetic Variations",
      "subfield": "plant-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Endogenous retrovirus control of calbindin is essential for human early embryogenesis",
  "title_text": "Endogenous retrovirus control of calbindin is essential for human early embryogenesis",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:41Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9knbwf2cj58zy",
  "venue": "Science Advances",
  "versions": []
}