From mobile DNA to medicine: Fusion Conference highlights the therapeutic potential of endogenous retroelements in human disease

Endogenous retroelements (EREs) are a subset of transposable elements (TEs) that mobilize via an RNA intermediate. They include retrotransposable elements such as long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), as well as endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) and their human-specific counterparts (HERVs). The inaugural Fusion Conference on Endogenous Retrotransposable Elements & Human Diseases (EREHD), which was held in Riviera Maya, Mexico, in late 2025, brought together leading researchers to address the emerging roles of TEs in genome regulation, cellular identity and plasticity control, and disease pathogenesis and treatment.