Saed News:Findings from a new study show that the COVID-19 virus may help the body fight cancer by shrinking tumors.
According to the Science and Technology Desk of Saed News, quoting IRNA, a new study by researchers at Northwestern University in the U.S., published in the journal Clinical Investigation, has revealed a link between COVID-19 infection and cancer regression.
Physicians at Northwestern University cautioned that the research is still in its early stages but expressed hope that further testing could lead to new treatments in the future. The research team observed that the RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the coronavirus that causes COVID-19) might stimulate the growth of anti-cancer immune cells.
These immune cells, known as Inducible Non-Classical Monocytes (I-NCMs), appear capable of attacking cancer cells and may open up new avenues for cancer treatment. Monocytes are a type of white blood cell from the agranulocyte category within the immune system.
Ankit Bharat, the lead researcher, stated: “We found that the same cells activated by severe COVID-19 can be induced with a drug to fight cancer.” In this study, the team specifically examined melanoma (the rarest type of skin cancer), as well as lung, breast, and colon cancers.
According to the researchers, the study is still in its early phases and its effectiveness has so far only been tested in animal models during preclinical studies. They hope to use this approach in the future to treat patients with advanced cancers that have not responded to other therapies.
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