Can COVID-19 Fight Cancer? A Study Reveals a Surprise
A recent study conducted on mice has shown that severe COVID-19 infections could help reduce tumor size by stimulating the body to produce a special type of anti-cancer cells.
According to Science Alert, these findings open new doors for understanding the immune system’s role in fighting cancer, an area targeted by many existing drugs designed to boost its defensive capabilities.
The study focused on a type of white blood cell known as monocytes, which play a key role in defending the body against infections and other threats. However, in cases of cancer, these monocytes can be hijacked by tumor cells and transformed into tumor-supporting cells that shield the tumors from immune attacks.
Researchers discovered that severe COVID-19 infections prompt the body to produce a particular type of monocyte with anti-cancer properties. These cells, called “induced monocytes,” are specially trained to target the virus but retain their ability to fight cancer cells.
The study revealed that these monocytes have specific receptors that bind to a particular sequence of RNA unique to the COVID-19 virus.
To test this hypothesis, the research team conducted experiments on mice with various types of advanced-stage cancers (stage IV), including melanoma, lung cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer.
The mice were given a drug that mimicked the immune response triggered by severe COVID-19 infection, which stimulated the production of these specialized monocytes. The results showed a positive impact, as tumors in the mice began to shrink across all types of cancers tested.
Unlike ordinary monocytes, which tumors can convert into supportive cells, the induced monocytes retained their cancer-fighting properties. These cells were also able to migrate to tumor sites and activate natural killer cells.
The natural killer cells effectively attacked cancer cells, leading to tumor shrinkage. This mechanism offers a novel approach to fighting cancer, independent of T cells, which are the focus of current immunotherapy treatments.
Although immunotherapy has shown promising results, it is only successful in 20% to 40% of cases and often fails when the body cannot produce enough functional T cells.
This new mechanism provides a way to selectively and independently target tumors, potentially offering a solution for patients who do not respond to traditional immunotherapy treatments.
