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COVID-19–Induced Modifications in the Tumor Microenvironment: Do They Affect Cancer Reawakening and Metastatic Relapse?
- Source :
- Frontiers in Oncology, Frontiers in Oncology, Vol 10 (2020)
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- Frontiers Media SA, 2020.
-
Abstract
- Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes an uncontrolled activation of the innate immune response, resulting in acute respiratory distress syndrome and systemic inflammation. The effects of COVID-19–induced inflammation on cancer cells and their microenvironment are yet to be elucidated. Here, we formulate the hypothesis that COVID-19–associated inflammation may generate a microenvironment favorable to tumor cell proliferation and particularly to the reawakening of dormant cancer cells (DCCs). DCCs often survive treatment of primary tumors and populate premetastatic niches in the lungs and other organs, retaining the potential for metastatic outgrowth. DCCs reawakening may be promoted by several events associated to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, including activation of neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages, lymphopenia and an uncontrolled production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Among pro-inflammatory factors produced during COVID-19, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) released by activated neutrophils have been specifically shown to activate premetastatic cancer cells disseminated in the lungs, suggesting they may be involved in DCCs reawakening in COVID-19 patients. If confirmed by further studies, the links between COVID-19, DCCs reactivation and tumor relapse may support the use of specific anti-inflammatory and anti-metastatic therapies in patients with COVID-19 and an active or previous cancer.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Cancer Research
dormancy
disseminated tumor cells
Inflammation
Systemic inflammation
lcsh:RC254-282
Metastasis
coronavirus disease 2019
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
medicine
cancer
tumor microenvironment
relapse
Tumor microenvironment
Innate immune system
business.industry
Cancer
Neutrophil extracellular traps
lcsh:Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens
medicine.disease
030104 developmental biology
Oncology
inflammation
030220 oncology & carcinogenesis
Perspective
Cancer cell
Cancer research
medicine.symptom
business
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 2234943X
- Volume :
- 10
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Frontiers in Oncology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....d958032469e494ebfea862e26a895e21