If there's one thing that may be considered as a silver lining of this pandemic, it would be the possibility of using coronavirus research in finding a better way to fight cancer. Experts, in new research, are considering repurposing the immune response that fights SARS-CoV-2 to target cancer cells.

The report, published in the journal OncoImmunology, entitled "Repurposing CD8+ T cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2 for cancer immunotherapy: A positive aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic?" conducted by a Dalhousie University scientist, is exploring how viruses such as the coronavirus could play a role in the development of new cancer immunotherapy.

Dr Shashi Gujar, a doctor from the department of pathology at Dalhousie University, together with colleagues from France, Germany, Denmark, the U.S., and India, revealed that the immune system of the body can detect foreign bodies like bacteria and viruses, however, it does not do the same to cancer cells. Gujar said that they have figured out how they can trick the coronavirus-specific T-cells to believe that the cancer cells are also infected by the virus. He further stated that the key that makes this possible is to do it without causing the real infection or using the virus itself.

According to Gujar, when a person is infected with SARS-CoV-2, the body's immune system recognises the virus. The T-cells are then activated and they act in a particular manner where they kill the cells that harbour the virus. In fact, vaccines that are being tested worldwide behave in a similar way wherein they exhibit the ability to trigger these T-cells.

The CDC website states that the immune system has the ability to remember how it was able to adequately protect the body against a certain disease. This coincides with the "memory cells" of T-cells, which would then act as though triggered by an alarm, and it would help the immune system produce the antibodies necessary to attack a particular germ or virus.

The release mentioned that the T-cells search the body for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and destroy areas where the virus multiplies. Applying this, the scientists are now trying to get the T-cells to also attack the cancer cells. They do this by getting the cancer cells to exhibit the same behaviour such as those of cells that harbor the SARS-CoV-2 virus. That way, T-cells would target them as well.

Coronavirus Silver Lining Coronavirus Silver Lining
AstraZeneca facilities are already preparing for mass manufacture of its coronavirus vaccine Photo: AFP / Vincenzo PINTO

The team of researchers expressed their enthusiasm for the treatment, noting that the approach is a novel and practical way of harnessing virus-specific T-cells in fighting different types of cancers.

Cancer