Attractive new work studyPublished in clinical research journalhas revealed an unexpected potential benefit of severe COVID-19 infection: it could help shrink cancer.
This surprising discovery, based on research conducted in mice, opens new possibilities for cancer treatment and sheds light on the complex interactions between the immune system and cancer cells. But that doesn’t mean people should actively try to get infected with coronavirus.
Data outlining the importance of the immune system in cancer include: pretty And many drugs target the immune system, unlocking its potential and becoming an important focus. my own research.
The research here focused on a type of white blood cell called monocytes. These immune cells play an important role in the body’s defense. infectious disease and other threats.
however, cancer patientmonocytes can sometimes be hijacked by tumor cells and converted into cancer-friendly cells that protect the tumor from negative effects. immune system.
Researchers have discovered that severe coronavirus infection causes the body to produce a special type of monocyte with unique cancer-fighting properties. These “induced” monocytes are specially trained to target viruses, but also retain the ability to fight cancer cells.
To understand how this works, we need to look at the genetic material of the virus that causes coronavirus. The researchers discovered that these induced monocytes have special receptors that bind well to specific sequences in the coronavirus RNA.
Ankit Bharat, one of the scientists at Northwestern University in Chicago who worked on the study, used a lock-and-key analogy to explain this relationship. fit. “
remarkable
To test their theory, the researchers conducted experiments on mice with various types of advanced (stage 4) cancers, including melanoma, lung cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer.
They gave mice a drug that mimics the immune response to severe COVID-19 infection and induced the production of these specialized monocytes. The results were amazing. Tumors in the mice began to shrink in all four types of cancer studied.
Unlike normal monocytes, which are converted by tumors into defensive cells, these induced monocytes retained cancer-fighting properties. They were able to travel to the tumor site, a feat that most immune cells cannot accomplish, and activated natural killer cells once there.
These killer cells attack cancer cells and cause tumors. shrink.
This mechanism is particularly exciting because it offers features such as: new approach Fighting cancer without relying on T cells is the focus of many current immunotherapy treatments.
Immunotherapy has shown promise, but is only effective in about 20% to 40% of cases and often fails if the body cannot produce enough functioning T cells . Indeed, it is considered dependent. T cell immunity This is a major limitation of current immunotherapy approaches.
In contrast, this new mechanism provides a way to selectively kill tumors independent of T cells, potentially providing a solution for patients who do not respond to traditional immunotherapy.
It is important to note that this study was conducted in mice, and clinical trials are needed to determine whether the same effects occur in humans.
Perhaps some aspects of this mechanism disrupt common pathways that most cancers use to spread throughout the body, so it may work similarly for humans and other types of cancer. There is.
Although COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to trigger this mechanism (as they do not use complete RNA sequences as viruses), this study could potentially stimulate the production of these cancer-fighting monocytes. This opens up the possibility of developing a vaccine.
trained immunity
The implications of this research extend beyond COVID-19 and cancer. This shows how our immune system is trained by one type of threat to become more effective against another type of threat.
This concept, known as “trained immunity,” is an exciting area of research that could lead to new approaches to treating a wide range of diseases.
However, it is important to stress again that this does not mean that people should seek COVID-19 as a way to fight cancer. especially dangerous like i have explained. Severe new coronavirus can be life-threatening and causes many serious conditions Long-term health effects.
Rather, this study provides valuable insights that may lead to the development of safer and more targeted treatments in the future. Studies like this remind us of the importance of basic science research as we continue to fight the coronavirus pandemic, emerging infectious diseases, and the aftermath of a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite facing a global health crisis, researchers are finding ways to advance our understanding of human biology and disease. This research will not only help fight the immediate threat of the coronavirus, but also pave the way for breakthroughs in the treatment of other serious conditions, such as cancer.
Although there is still much work to be done before these discoveries can be translated into treatments for human patients, this work represents an exciting opportunity in our understanding of the complex relationship between viruses, the immune system, and cancer. It shows a step forward.
It offers hope for new treatments and highlights how scientific discoveries can lead to advances in medicine, often in unexpected ways.
Justin StebbingProfessor of Biomedical Sciences; Anglia Ruskin University
This article is republished from conversation Under Creative Commons License. please read original article.
