COVID-19 infection and cancer regression: a review of current evidence, potential mechanisms, and clinical perspectives on a Paradoxical phenomenon.

IF 3.2 2区医学 Q3 IMMUNOLOGY

Infectious Agents and Cancer Pub Date : 2025-10-23 DOI:10.1186/s13027-025-00704-9

Ikponmwosa Jude Ogieuhi, Victor Oluwatomiwa Ajekiigbe, Chinonyelum Emmanuel Agbo, Chidera Stanley Anthony, Adegbesan Abiodun Christopher, Jennifer Chinaecherem Onyehalu, Mercy Chisom Agu, Sylvia Mmesomachi Mbaji, Adewunmi Akingbola, Bisharat Ahmed, Owa Ogieuhi, Olufemi Akinmeji

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Since its emergence, the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak has been a pandemic responsible for about 7 million deaths worldwide. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the virus's multiorgan system involvement, particularly its relation to cancer biology. Spontaneous regression of cancer has been observed in some patients with the coronavirus, which may be attributed to the virus's ability to trigger specific immune responses that can be oncolytic and help reduce and eliminate oncogenic cells. This study aims to explore the paradoxical effects of COVID-19 in inducing cancer regression. The paradoxical effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection has been attributed to the possibility of a heightened immune activation possibly triggered by the virus, and some of these include increased levels of cytokines such as interferon and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), as well as the activation of T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. COVID-19-induced cancer regression presents new perspectives on the relationship between viral infections and the immune system's antitumor capabilities. This would help foster future research investigating specific immune pathways activated during SARS-CoV-2 and discover how these can be therapeutically harnessed to aid cancer regression.

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COVID-19感染与癌症消退：对一种矛盾现象的现有证据、潜在机制和临床观点的回顾

自出现以来，冠状病毒（SARS-CoV-2）爆发已成为一场大流行，造成全球约700万人死亡。已经进行了大量的研究来确定病毒的多器官系统参与，特别是它与癌症生物学的关系。在一些冠状病毒患者中观察到癌症自发消退，这可能是由于病毒能够触发特异性免疫反应，这种免疫反应可以溶瘤，帮助减少和消除致癌细胞。本研究旨在探讨COVID-19在诱导癌症消退中的矛盾效应。SARS-CoV-2感染的矛盾效应被归因于可能由病毒引发的免疫激活增强的可能性，其中一些包括干扰素和肿瘤坏死因子-α (TNF-α)等细胞因子水平升高，以及T细胞和自然杀伤细胞（NK细胞）的激活。covid -19诱导的癌症消退为病毒感染与免疫系统抗肿瘤能力之间的关系提供了新的视角。这将有助于促进未来的研究，调查在SARS-CoV-2期间激活的特定免疫途径，并发现如何在治疗上利用这些途径来帮助癌症消退。

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来源期刊

Infectious Agents and Cancer ONCOLOGY-IMMUNOLOGY

CiteScore

5.80

自引率

2.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： Infectious Agents and Cancer is an open access, peer-reviewed online journal that encompasses all aspects of basic, clinical, epidemiological and translational research providing an insight into the association between chronic infections and cancer. The journal welcomes submissions in the pathogen-related cancer areas and other related topics, in particular: • HPV and anogenital cancers, as well as head and neck cancers; • EBV and Burkitt lymphoma; • HCV/HBV and hepatocellular carcinoma as well as lymphoproliferative diseases; • HHV8 and Kaposi sarcoma; • HTLV and leukemia; • Cancers in Low- and Middle-income countries. The link between infection and cancer has become well established over the past 50 years, and infection-associated cancer contribute up to 16% of cancers in developed countries and 33% in less developed countries. Preventive vaccines have been developed for only two cancer-causing viruses, highlighting both the opportunity to prevent infection-associated cancers by vaccination and the gaps that remain before vaccines can be developed for other cancer-causing agents. These gaps are due to incomplete understanding of the basic biology, natural history, epidemiology of many of the pathogens that cause cancer, the mechanisms they exploit to cause cancer, and how to interrupt progression to cancer in human populations. Early diagnosis or identification of lesions at high risk of progression represent the current most critical research area of the field supported by recent advances in genomics and proteomics technologies.