GROUNDBREAKING! Severe Covid-19 may shrink cancer tumors, new study reveals virus effects
By Shweta Kumari | First Published Nov 18, 2024, 7:22 PM ISTA groundbreaking research has uncovered an extraordinary ability of Covid-19 to combat cancer by shrinking malignant tumors, offering a ray of hope for innovative cancer therapies.
A groundbreaking research has uncovered an extraordinary ability of Covid-19 to combat cancer by shrinking malignant tumors, offering a ray of hope for innovative cancer therapies. The study, conducted at the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute, is set to be published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation this November, reported Times of India (TOI).
During the pandemic, doctors observed evidence suggesting that some cancer patients afflicted with severe Covid-19 experienced tumor shrinkage or slowed tumor growth.
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“We didn’t know if it was real, because these patients were so sick,” shared Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery at Northwestern University, according to TOI. “Was it because the immune system was so triggered by Covid-19 that it also started to kill cancer cells? What was it?” Driven by curiosity, Dr. Bharat and his team embarked on a meticulous study to unravel this mystery.
Covid-19's cancer-fighting potential
At the core of connection between Covid-19 and tumor reduction lies the role of monocytes, a type of immune cell. Typically, monocytes patrol the bloodstream, alerting the immune system to threats and sometimes recruiting cancer-fighting cells to tumors. However, cancer cells often manipulate monocytes, using them to create a protective barrier that shields tumors from immune attacks.
Remarkably, in the presence of SARS-CoV-2, this deceptive shield is disrupted. The virus’s RNA triggers the formation of unique immune cells capable of targeting and destroying cancer cells.
According to the researchers, the immune response induced by Covid-19 can generate a specialized cell that invades tumors and attacks cancer cells. These findings, based on human tissues and animal models, offer hope for the treatment of prevalent cancers, including melanoma, lung, breast, and colon cancer.
“It’s incredible, and a big surprise, that the same infection that caused so much devastation can help create a cancer-fighting cell,” Dr. Bharat remarked.
The study also revealed the possibility of replicating this immune response in a drug, which could benefit patients with aggressive or advanced cancers. Such a treatment could potentially overcome a significant hurdle in cancer therapy: the ability of cancer cells to develop resistance to immunotherapy.\
Clinical trials underway
Unlike immunotherapy, which primarily enlists T cells, the immune cells activated by Covid-19 summon natural killer cells—potent cancer destroyers. “The most amazing thing is the effectiveness of these cells,” said Bharat.
Any resulting treatment would complement, rather than replace, existing immunotherapy, offering a critical alternative for patients whose cancer returns or resists treatment. Notably, this unique cancer-fighting mechanism is specific to the Covid-19 RNA virus, as other RNA viruses like influenza lack this capability.
Researchers are optimistic about the transformative potential of their findings. “We are in the early stages, but the potential to transform cancer treatment is there,” Bharat said.
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