Groundbreaking discovery links covid to cancer regression, offering new hope for treatment.

Scientists at Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute have made a groundbreaking discovery revealing a link between Covid-19 and cancer regression, potentially opening new treatment possibilities. The researchers found that the virus responsible for Covid can trigger the development of unique immune cells capable of attacking and destroying cancerous tissue.

Published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the study suggests that the same virus that caused global devastation might also hold the key to fighting various types of cancer. Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery at Northwestern University, expressed his amazement at the findings, saying, “It’s incredible, and a big surprise, that the same infection that caused so much devastation can help create a cancer-fighting cell.”

The researchers discovered that RNA molecules from the SARS-CoV-2 virus activate specialized immune cells called “inducible nonclassical monocytes” (I-NCMs). These cells, when induced by a drug, were found to effectively combat cancers such as melanoma, lung cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer in animal models.

In preliminary studies, the I-NCMs reduced tumor sizes by 60% to 70%. What makes these cells unique is their ability to infiltrate tumors, a function enabled by the CCR2 receptor, which allows them to enter the tumor site and release chemicals that recruit the body’s natural killer cells. These killer cells then target and attack the cancer cells, aiding in tumor shrinkage.

Dr. Bharat highlighted the potential of these cells, particularly in treating cancers that have shown resistance to existing therapies. However, he emphasized that this research is still in its early stages, with effectiveness demonstrated only in animal models so far.

The next step in the research will be to conduct clinical trials to determine whether this approach can safely benefit cancer patients. While more studies are needed, the findings offer hope for patients with advanced cancers that have not responded to traditional treatments.

The discovery is particularly significant because no other RNA virus, such as the flu virus, has shown the same tumor-fighting properties, making this a potentially novel pathway for cancer treatment.