A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation has uncovered a surprising potential benefit of severe COVID-19 infection: the ability to shrink tumors in advanced-stage cancers. This groundbreaking research, conducted on mice, reveals a new avenue for cancer treatment by exploring the interplay between the immune system and cancer cells. However, experts emphasize that this finding should not encourage individuals to intentionally contract COVID-19.
The study focuses on monocytes, a type of white blood cell critical in the body’s immune defense. In cancer patients, these cells can sometimes be manipulated by tumors to shield them from the immune system. Researchers discovered that a severe COVID-19 infection triggers the production of unique monocytes with potent anti-cancer properties. These specialized immune cells not only combat the virus but also retain their ability to fight cancer.
The researchers, led by a team from Northwestern University in Chicago, found that these monocytes are equipped with a specific receptor that binds to a sequence of COVID RNA, enabling them to directly target tumor cells. The team tested the mechanism on mice with advanced melanoma, lung, breast, and colon cancers by using a drug that mimicked the immune response to severe COVID. The results were remarkable, as the induced monocytes shrank tumors across all four cancer types.
Unlike regular monocytes, which tumors often reprogram to protect themselves, these induced monocytes resisted such manipulation. They traveled to tumor sites, activated natural killer cells, and initiated a targeted attack on the cancer. This mechanism bypasses T cells, a primary focus of current immunotherapy, offering potential treatment options for patients who do not respond to existing therapies.
Immunotherapy, though promising, works for only 20% to 40% of patients due to its reliance on T cell activity. The study’s findings propose a new approach that could overcome this limitation and selectively destroy tumors, offering hope to a broader range of patients.
While this discovery represents a major breakthrough, the study was conducted exclusively on mice. Further research and clinical trials will be required to confirm its applicability to humans. The researchers also caution that vaccines are unlikely to trigger the same response, as they do not contain the full RNA sequence of the virus.
