GUWAHATI: In a surprising twist, the virus responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic may hold the key to new cancer treatments. A recent study by Northwestern Medicine, soon to be published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation in November, suggests that COVID-19 might shrink cancerous tumours, opening doors to innovative therapies, according to media reports.
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During the pandemic, some doctors noticed an unusual trend: cancer patients who became severely ill with COVID-19 experienced tumour shrinkage or slower tumour growth. Intrigued, researchers decided to investigate whether the immune system's response to the virus could combat cancer.
Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery at Northwestern University, spearheaded the study to understand this phenomenon. “We weren’t sure if this was real because the patients were so sick. Was their immune system reacting to COVID-19 in a way that also targeted cancer cells? We needed to find out,” he explained.
The research focused on the role of monocytes, immune cells that typically alert the body to infections. Cancer cells often manipulate these monocytes to create a protective shield, helping them evade the immune system. However, when the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects the body, it disrupts this shielding mechanism, potentially allowing the immune system to attack cancer cells more effectively.
The study revealed that COVID-19’s RNA activates a unique type of immune cell capable of targeting and destroying cancer cells. These specialized cells travel to tumours and eliminate cancerous tissue, potentially paving the way for treatments against aggressive cancers like melanoma, lung, breast, and colon cancers.
“It’s incredible that a virus responsible for such devastation can create a cancer-fighting cell,” Bharat remarked.
Unlike traditional immunotherapy, which relies on T cells to combat cancer, the immune cells triggered by COVID-19 summon natural killer cells. These are even more potent in destroying cancer cells and are less prone to resistance—a common issue in conventional treatments.
The study’s findings suggest that the immune response induced by COVID-19 could potentially be replicated in drug form. This therapy could complement existing treatments or serve as an alternative when immunotherapy fails.
Notably, the research highlighted that only COVID-19’s RNA virus triggers this unique immune response. Other RNA viruses, such as the flu, do not produce the same effect.
Encouraged by these results, researchers plan to move forward with clinical trials to test this approach in cancer patients. “We’re still in the early stages, but the potential to transform cancer treatment is real,” Bharat stated.
While this discovery won’t replace traditional therapies, it offers hope for more effective and targeted cancer treatments. Harnessing COVID-19’s unique immune response could mark a significant breakthrough in the fight against cancer, providing new options for patients where conventional methods have fallen short.
