From Anti-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Immune Response to Cancer Onset via Molecular Mimicry and Cross-Reactivity

Abstract

Background and Objectives Whether exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may predispose to the risk of cancer in individuals with no prior cancers is a crucial question that remains unclear. To confirm/refute possible relationships between exposure to the virus and ex novo insurgence of tumors, this study analyzed molecular mimicry and the related cross-reactive potential between SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (gp) antigen and human tumor-suppressor proteins. Materials and Methods Tumor-associated proteins were retrieved from UniProt database and analyzed for pentapeptide sharing with SARS-CoV-2 spike gp by using publicly available databases. Results An impressively high level of molecular mimicry exists between SARS-CoV-2 spike gp and tumor-associated proteins. Numerically, 294 tumor-suppressor proteins share 308 pentapeptides with the viral antigen. Crucially, the shared peptides have a relevant immunologic potential by repeatedly occurring in experimentally validated epitopes. Such immunologic potential is of further relevancy in that most of the shared peptides are also present in infectious pathogens to which, in general, human population has already been exposed, thus indicating the possibility of immunologic imprint phenomena. Conclusion This article described a vast peptide overlap between SARS-CoV-2 spike gp and tumor-suppressor proteins, and supports autoimmune cross-reactivity as a potential mechanism underlying prospective cancer insurgence following exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Clinically, the findings call for close surveillance of tumor sequelae that possibly could result from the current coronavirus pandemic.

SARS-CoV-2: The Self-Nonself Issue and Diagnostic Tests

“…In closing, it is also worth noting that, in agreement with reports from this laboratory, 8 10 11 42 43 44 Khavinson et al 45 have recently described an intense peptide sharing between almost all the SARS-CoV-2 proteins and human proteins, with hepta- and octamers scattered along the entire length of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein molecule, thus furtherly supporting the possibility of cross-reactivity and consequent autoimmunity between SARS-CoV-2 and the human host. 7…”

“…In this scientific framework, taking the clue from recent data on the peptide sharing between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Homo sapiens , 8 9 10 11 12 the present study used SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (gp) as a research model and mathematically quantified the phenetic and genetic sequence differences that characterize the viral antigen as nonself when compared with the human host. That is, the entire human proteome was searched for peptide sequences shared with the viral gp.…”

COVID‐19, cancer post‐pandemic risk, and the radiation oncology physicist

“…15,16 Other research suggests the presence of a cross-reactivity mechanism associated with COVID-19 infection that targets human proteins involved in several malignant processes, including pleuropulmonary blastoma, non-small cell lung cancer, breast-invasive ductal carcinoma, multiple human cancers, tumor predisposition syndrome, and mesothelioma. 17 Another important consideration is the persistence of COVID-19 symptomology associated with "long COVID" and "post COVID-19 condition." "COVID-long-haulers" experience a constellation of symptoms according to an often unpredictable pattern for at least 4 months following recovery from active COVID-19 infection.…”

“…Evidence also suggests that COVID‐19 infection causes sustained neutrophil dysfunction resulting in susceptibility to both infections and cancer in mild and asymptomatic cases 15,16 . Other research suggests the presence of a cross‐reactivity mechanism associated with COVID‐19 infection that targets human proteins involved in several malignant processes, including pleuropulmonary blastoma, non‐small cell lung cancer, breast‐invasive ductal carcinoma, multiple human cancers, tumor predisposition syndrome, and mesothelioma 17 …”

Nucleotide Sequence Sharing between the Human Genome and Primers for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Detection

“…[6][7][8][9][10][11] On the basis of all these, this study focused on the possible genetic basis of potential false polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results by comparing the nucleotide sequence of proposed/used SARS-CoV-2 primers versus the human genome. The scientific rationale is that-given the high level of amino acid sequence sharing between SARS-CoV-2 proteins and the human proteome [12][13][14][15] -parallel sequence matching at the nucleotide level might exist between the SARS-CoV-2 primer sequences and the human genome, in this way possibly explaining the generation of false-positive SARS-CoV-2 detection results. Data are reported here that confirm the likelihood of the research hypothesis.…”