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Study Confirms Respiratory Viruses Trigger Dormant Breast Cancer Cell Reactivation

Researchers recommend vaccination for survivors to reduce virus-triggered cancer relapse

An illustration of cancer cells marked with green, and the proliferation of cells marked in magenta.
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Radiation therapist Kristen Sherry-Taylor prepares a medical linear accelerator for a patient at the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers in Aurora on Thursday, March 17, 2022.

Overview

  • In mouse models, SARS-CoV-2 or influenza infections drove a 100- to 1,000-fold expansion of dormant breast cancer cells in the lungs within weeks
  • Analyses of the UK Biobank and Flatiron Health cohorts found that COVID-19 raised cancer mortality odds by 85% (OR 1.85) and lung metastasis hazard by 44% (HR 1.44) among survivors
  • Molecular analyses revealed that interleukin-6 drives dormant cell awakening and that reactivated cells establish CD4+ T cell niches to evade CD8+ – mediated elimination
  • The greatest increase in cancer deaths occurred in the first few months after infection, mirroring the rapid metastatic growth seen in animal experiments
  • Teams are pursuing IL-6 inhibitors and other immunomodulatory strategies alongside vaccination campaigns to mitigate this newly recognized metastatic threat