COVID-19 engages clinical markers for the management of cancer and cancer-relevant regulators of cell proliferation, death, migration, and immune response

Abstract

Clinical reports show that the management of cancer patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 requires modifications. Understanding of cancer-relevant mechanisms engaged by the virus is essential for the evidence-based management of cancer. The network of SARS-CoV-2 regulatory mechanisms was used to study potential engagement of oncogenes, tumor suppressors, other regulators of tumorigenesis and clinical markers used in the management of cancer patients. Our network analysis confirms links between COVID-19 and tumorigenesis that were predicted in epidemiological reports. The COVID-19 network shows the involvement of tumorigenesis regulators and clinical markers. Regulators of cell proliferation, death, migration, and the immune system were retrieved. Examples are pathways initiated by EGF, VEGF, TGFβ and FGF. The SARS-CoV-2 network engages markers for diagnosis, prognosis and selection of treatment. Intersection with cancer diagnostic signatures supports a potential impact of the virus on tumorigenesis. Clinical observations show the diversity of symptoms correlating with biological processes and types of cells engaged by the virus, e.g. epithelial, endothelial, smooth muscle, glial and immune system cells. Our results describe an extensive engagement of cancer-relevant mechanisms and clinical markers by COVID-19. Engagement by the virus of clinical markers provides a rationale for clinical decisions based on these markers.