A groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute has revealed that the COVID-19 virus may have the unexpected ability to fight cancer.
The findings, which will be published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation in November, indicate that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, can trigger immune responses that shrink cancerous tumors.
This discovery could lead to new cancer treatment options, especially for patients with aggressive or advanced cancers.
The Surprising Anti-Cancer Impact of COVID-19
For many doctors, the coronavirus pandemic brought only misery, but for some cancer patients, it had an unexpected silver lining: their tumors shrunk or at least slowed in growth.
These were anecdotal accounts from doctors who have long been intrigued by such cases. “We didn’t know if it was real, because these patients were so sick,” said Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery at Northwestern University.
This led Dr. Bharat and his team to research whether the response of the immune system to COVID-19 could, in fact, involve attack cells harboring cancer.
How COVID-19 Changes Immune Cells
Monocytes help the immune system to sense danger and initiate responses from other immune cells after having sensed something, while in the case of SARS-CoV-2, this functioning is distorted. SARS-CoV-2 cancer cells sometimes use monocytes as an immunological shield that prevents the immune system from reaching the hiding tumour.
Interestingly, through research, Dr. Bharat found that once monocytes encounter SARS-CoV-2, their behavior changes. Once inside the body, these monocytes start to attract the cell killing cells, such as natural killer cells, for a kill mission towards cancerous sites. Thus, there is an open window for the immune system to start recognizing and killing the cancer cells.
New Cancer-Fighting Immune Cell Under Discovery
The study also showed that the RNA in the COVID-19 virus could incite the production of new immune cells that target and destroy cancer. These new cells can enter tumors and kill the cancer cells directly. Promising results in reducing tumors have been seen using human tissues and animal models.
“Our study found that the RNA from COVID-19 can turn monocytes into anti-cancer cells,” said Dr. Bharat. “It is shocking that the same virus, which is causing heavy casualties, can also provide an essential boost to the immune system to fight cancer.”
Future Scope of Cancer Treatments
Dr. Bharat’s lab has also found a chemical that replicates the role the COVID-19 virus plays in making one’s immune system fight cancer. The chemical was named muramyl dipeptide (MDP) and was evaluated in animal models; it reduced tumors by up to 70% in breast, colon, lung, and melanoma cancers. More importantly, the efficacy was not dependent on T cells, which is the aim of most therapy regimens presently. This might be a glimmer of hope for patients whose tumors are resistant to the usual T cell-based therapies.
The results of the study indicate that treatments based on the COVID-19 virus will complement and complement other treatments targeting cancer. It will either boost the body’s immune system or become an alternative measure when the former breaks down.
Unique to COVID-19: Other Viruses Do Not Show the Same Effect
Interestingly, researchers noted that such anti-cancer immunity response is only induced by the virus that causes COVID-19. Unlike the latter, other RNA viruses, such as influenza and parainfluenza, fail to elicit such an effect on monocytes. This specificity can form the basis of novel cancer therapies building on the peculiarities of COVID-19 virus.
Next Steps: Clinical Trials on the Anvil
The researchers say that their research may bring about tremendous breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer. The investigators, led by Dr. Bharat, are looking forward to initiating clinical trials soon to determine if the findings can be translated successfully for the use of new cancer therapies in humans.
Still at the early stages, but there is great potential for the discovery of new treatments that exploit this immunity. “This might prove very helpful for some patients who already have resistance to other types of treatment and are at the advanced level of cancer,” said Dr. Bharat.
Another interesting offshoot of COVID-19 is that SARS-CoV-2 transforms immune cells into cancer-fighting agents. This can lead to new treatments for patients suffering from difficult-to-treat cancers.
It may present research and clinical trials showing how this discovery will solve the clues for its full understanding, but it is indeed a great forward stride which can fight against more reliable cancer.
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