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MDPI, Cancers, 19(15), p. 4850, 2023

DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194850

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Nasopharynx Battlefield: Cellular Immune Responses Mediated by Midkine in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and COVID-19

Journal article published in 2023 by Ngar-Woon Kam, Cho-Yiu Lau, Chi-Ming Che, Victor Ho-Fun Lee ORCID
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Clinical evidence suggests that the severe respiratory illness coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is often associated with a cytokine storm that results in dysregulated immune responses. Prolonged COVID-19 positivity is thought to disproportionately affect cancer patients. With COVID-19 disrupting the delivery of cancer care, it is crucial to gain momentum and awareness of the mechanistic intersection between these two diseases. This review discusses the role of the cytokine midkine (MK) as an immunomodulator in patients with COVID-19 and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), both of which affect the nasal cavity. We conducted a review and analysis of immunocellular similarities and differences based on clinical studies, research articles, and published transcriptomic datasets. We specifically focused on ligand–receptor pairs that could be used to infer intercellular communication, as well as the current medications used for each disease, including NPC patients who have contracted COVID-19. Based on our findings, we recommend close monitoring of the MK axis to maintain the desirable effects of therapeutic regimens in fighting both NPC and COVID-19 infections.