COVID-19 and cancer: insights into their association and influence on genetic and epigenetic landscape

Abstract

The COVID-19 outbreak has created disaster globally, and mankind is yet to come in terms with combating this global menace. Amid this turmoil, immunocompromised individuals like cancer patients exhibit dismal immune responses toward such infection. In order to treat cancer patients during such adverse situations, it is necessary to understand the phenomena that interlink these two diseased states. Modulation of host epigenetic landscape is a key hallmark of both cancer and viral infections, including COVID-19. Our review aims to shed light upon the interplay between COVID-19 and cancer, primarily through the genetic and epigenetic modulations of the gene expression profile, so as to design better therapeutic strategies in the near future.