séminaire CIRI : Marc Sitbon (25.02.2026)

Marc Sitbon, Rare Tumors Initiative, Pediatric Oncology Branch, NCI/NIH : “Fusion and acquisition: are gammaretroviral envelopes the key assets of the evolutionary shaping of human metabolism?”

Abstract: Endogenous retroviruses (ERV) are abundant in the genomes of metazoans. The fusion-promoting role of a human ERV envelope has been demonstrated to be key in placenta formation, simultaneously here in Lyon and in Boston. We identified over 150 retroviral envelopes that have been stably acquired by primates, including humans, and this, independently of their fusion properties, but rather, based on the conservation of metabolism-impacting modules. 

From these modules, we have designed new tools for identifying, analyzing, and diagnosing metabolic disorders. Our findings open up to a new understanding of metabolic changes that accompany various normal and pathophysiological conditions, and the development of new tools to interfere with these conditions.