Infection: a Cause of and Cure for Cancer

Jenna H. Newman, Andrew Zloza

This article provides a brief overview of the role that infections play in cancer emergence and cancer treatment. A select number of pathogens have been reported to increase the incidence of specific cancers (directly through altering gene expression or indirectly through inducing chronic inflammation). These have been referred to as oncogenic pathogens. Conversely, a subset of pathogens has been demonstrated to preferentially cause lysis of tumor cells, leading to tumor regression and improved anti-tumor immunity. These have been termed oncolytic pathogens. However, the contribution of non-oncogenic, non-oncolytic pathogens to both tumor growth and regression is likewise being increasingly recognized. Pathogens have both the ability to cause and cure cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying these pathogen-mediated outcomes are not fully understood. With the recent emergence of interest in the immunotherapy of cancer, it is important that future studies focus specifically on preventing the negative effects of oncogenic infections, deconstructing the positive role of oncolytic pathogens, and finally providing insight into the dual roles of non-oncolytic, non-oncogenic pathogens so that anti-pathogen immune responses can be harnessed as a transformative means to treat cancer.