Remission of Liquid Tumors and SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Literature Review

Authors

Dong Ho Shin
Andrew Gillard
Arie Van Wieren
Candelaria Gomez-Manzano
Juan Fueyo

Publication Date

9-15-2022

Journal

Molecular Therapy Oncolytics

DOI

10.1016/j.omto.2022.06.006

PMID

35702422

PMCID

PMC9186532

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

6-10-2022

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has produced a new global challenge for patients with cancer. The disease and the immunosuppression induced by cancer therapies have generated a perfect storm of conditions to increase the severity of the symptoms and worsen the prognosis. However, a few clinical reports showcased the power of viruses to induce remission in some patients suffering from liquid tumors. Here, we reviewed six cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that resulted in cancer remission, simultaneously highlighting the strengths and the unique challenges of oncolytic virotherapy. Virotherapy has become a special case of cancer immunotherapy. This paradigm-shifting concept suggests that oncolytic viruses are not only promising agents to combat particularly immunologically suppressed, immunotherapy-resistant tumors but also that the trigger of local inflammation, such as SARS-CoV-2 infection of the respiratory pathways, may trigger an abscopal effect sufficient to induce the remission of systemic cancer.

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2, cancer, oncolytic viruses, liquid tumors, virotherapy, immunotherapy

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Shin, Dong Ho; Gillard, Andrew; Van Wieren, Arie; et al., "Remission of Liquid Tumors and SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Literature Review" (2022). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 1020.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthgsbs_docs/1020