Abstract
Have you ever had a virus like the flu or coronavirus? These viruses affect the lungs. They also activate the immune system to try and help you feel better.
During the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, death rates from cancer rose. No one knew exactly why. We wondered if viral infections could “wake up” cancer cells that had been asleep for years.
To find out, we studied mice with dormant breast cancer cells in their lungs. We infected the mice with influenza or a version of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. We also analyzed data from people in cancer remission who got COVID-19.
We found that both viruses can reactivate sleeping breast cancer cells in mice. We also discovered that despite the virus-induced immune response, the growing cancer altered immune cells to prevent them from fighting the cancer. This suggests that viruses may pose extra risks for people who have had cancer.
The post How can viruses wake up sleeping cancer cells? appeared first on Science Journal for Kids and Teens.
