Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
9-15-2022
Journal
Molecular Therapy Oncolytics
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
DOI
10.1016/j.omto.2022.06.006
PMID
35702422
PMCID
PMC9186532
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
6-10-2022
Graphical Abstract
Published Open-Access
yes
Included in
Bioinformatics Commons, Biomedical Informatics Commons, Clinical Epidemiology Commons, COVID-19 Commons, Medical Molecular Biology Commons, Oncology Commons