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.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 135-140 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics |
Volume | 26 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 15 2022 |
Keywords
- cancer
- immunotherapy
- liquid tumors
- oncolytic viruses
- SARS-CoV-2
- virotherapy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Medicine
- Oncology
- Cancer Research
- Pharmacology (medical)