Respiratory viral infections prime accelerated lung cancer growth.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted long-term health concerns of viral pneumonia, yet its potential impact on cancer development and growth remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 or influenza virus promoted lung tumor progression by reprogramming the local immune landscape. Retrospective clinical analysis revealed that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 exhibited increased lung cancer incidence. Using multiple murine lung cancer models, we show that prior severe respiratory viral infections accelerated tumor growth and reduced survival. Mechanistically, prior viral pneumonia epigenetically remodeled the lung to establish a pro-tumor microenvironment, including the local accumulation of SiglecF^hi tumor-associated neutrophils, a tra

SUBMITTER: Qian W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12424724 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature