BREAKING! COVID-19 Infection Triggers Genetic Change in Thyroid Tissues That Accelerates Thyroid Cancer Progression!
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team May 20, 2025 11 hours, 43 minutes ago
Medical News: In a startling new discovery that adds to the growing list of long-term effects linked to COVID-19, South Korean researchers have found that the SARS-CoV-2 virus may induce genetic changes in thyroid cancer tissue that could promote cancer progression. The findings, presented at the 11th Conference of the European Society of Endocrine Surgeons in Izmir, Turkey, reveal a potential link between the virus and more aggressive forms of thyroid cancer through a process known as DNA methylation.
COVID-19 Infection Triggers Genetic Change in Thyroid Tissues That Accelerates Thyroid Cancer Progression
The study was a collaborative effort between researchers from Chung-Ang University Hospital and Inha University Hospital & Inha University College of Medicine. Their aim was to investigate how recent COVID-19 infection might alter the genetic regulation of thyroid tissue, particularly in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC)—the most common type of thyroid cancer. This
Medical News report dives deep into their findings and what it might mean for the future of thyroid cancer treatment and diagnosis.
What Is DNA Methylation and Why Does It Matter?
DNA methylation is a biological process that modifies gene activity without changing the DNA sequence itself. It involves adding chemical tags, called methyl groups, to the DNA strand, which can either turn genes on or off. This process plays a vital role in regulating gene expression and maintaining normal cellular function. However, abnormal methylation patterns are often found in various cancers, including thyroid cancer, and are associated with tumor growth and disease progression.
The researchers set out to determine whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus could influence these methylation patterns in thyroid tissues. For their study, they analyzed tissue samples collected during thyroid cancer surgeries. These samples were divided into two groups— “Control” tissues taken before the COVID-19 pandemic and “Test” tissues collected from patients who had undergone surgery within two months after recovering from a COVID-19 infection.
Major Differences in Thyroid Cancer Tissues After COVID Infection
Using advanced DNA methylation array techniques, the researchers found that significant changes occurred in the DNA of cancerous thyroid tissues—but not in normal thyroid tissues—following COVID-19 infection. In patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the number of differentially methylated probes (DMPs), which indicate gene expression changes, was dramatically higher in the post-COVID group (6848 changes) compared to the pre-COVID group (140 changes). This stark contrast suggests that COVID-19 may specifically influence the molecular environment of cancerous thyroid tissues.
One of the most alarming findings was that the virus seemed to alter the methylation of critical genes involved in both cancer suppression and cancer progression. In the infected PTC tissues, researchers ob
served increased methylation—essentially the silencing—of genes that act as tumor suppressors, including BRCA1 and RUNX3. These genes normally function to prevent uncontrolled cell growth, and their suppression can make cancer more aggressive.
At the same time, there was reduced methylation—suggesting increased activity—of genes involved in promoting cancer, particularly those associated with the RAS protein signaling pathway (HRAS, RASSF1) and the Notch signaling pathway (CTBP1, LFNG, NOTCH3). These pathways are well-known for their roles in driving cell proliferation and tumor development when left unchecked.
Implications for Thyroid Cancer Patients and COVID Survivors
This dual pattern—silencing of tumor suppressors and activation of cancer-promoting pathways—suggests that a recent SARS-CoV-2 infection could worsen the genetic landscape of existing thyroid cancers. It may also explain why some patients develop more aggressive thyroid tumors following COVID-19, or why they experience cancer recurrence even after treatment.
Although this is a preliminary study involving a small number of patients (three in each group), the findings raise serious concerns. If validated through larger-scale studies, it could lead to changes in how physicians screen and monitor thyroid cancer patients who have had recent COVID-19 infections.
Need for Urgent Follow-Up Studies
The researchers emphasize that these results are only the beginning and that further validation studies are crucial. Larger studies would help confirm whether this DNA methylation pattern holds true in broader patient populations, and whether it translates into measurable differences in tumor behavior, treatment resistance, or long-term survival outcomes.
Moreover, the findings raise new questions about how COVID-19 might interact with other types of cancers. Is this effect unique to thyroid tissue, or could similar methylation changes be happening in other organs? Does the severity of COVID-19 symptoms correlate with the extent of genetic disruption in cancer tissues? These are vital questions that future research must answer.
Conclusion A Wake-Up Call for Post COVID Cancer Management
This study underscores the hidden dangers of SARS-CoV-2 infection, showing that even after the respiratory symptoms subside, the virus may continue to influence the body at a cellular and genetic level. For individuals with existing thyroid cancer, or even those with early undiagnosed tumors, a COVID-19 infection could potentially accelerate disease progression by manipulating the body’s gene regulation systems. These findings highlight the need for heightened post-COVID surveillance in cancer patients and the urgent development of personalized monitoring strategies. As our understanding of the long-term biological impacts of COVID-19 deepens, it becomes increasingly clear that managing the virus's aftereffects will remain a public health challenge for years to come.
The study findings were published as an abstract in the peer reviewed journal BJS (British Journal of Surgery)
https://academic.oup.com/bjs/article/112/Supplement_8/znaf096.001/8134119
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