Enhanced antitumoral activity of TLR7 agonists via activation of human endogenous retroviruses by HDAC inhibitors

Díaz-Carballo et al. find that HDAC inhibitors induces the expression of human endogenous retrovirus envelope genes in ovarian cancer cells, and that Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonists act synergistically with HDAC inhibitors in triggering cancer cell apoptosis. The combination also reduces growth of ovarian tumour xenografts, providing a potential rationale for future therapies.