COVID-19-Induced Modifications in the Tumor Microenvironment: Do They Affect Cancer Reawakening and Metastatic Relapse?

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) infe

SUBMITTER: Francescangeli F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7649335 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature