Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Apr 16;17(2):33.
doi: 10.3390/idr17020033.

Convergent Mechanisms in Virus-Induced Cancers: A Perspective on Classical Viruses, SARS-CoV-2, and AI-Driven Solutions

Thorsten Rudroff  1
Affiliations

Convergent Mechanisms in Virus-Induced Cancers: A Perspective on Classical Viruses, SARS-CoV-2, and AI-Driven Solutions

Thorsten Rudroff. Infect Dis Rep. .

Abstract

This perspective examines the potential oncogenic mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 through comparative analysis with established cancer-causing viruses, integrating classical virological approaches with artificial intelligence (AI)-driven analysis. The paper explores four key themes: shared oncogenic mechanisms between classical viruses and SARS-CoV-2 (including cell cycle dysregulation, inflammatory signaling, immune evasion, and metabolic reprogramming); the application of AI in understanding viral oncogenesis; the integration of neuroimaging evidence; and future research directions. The author presents novel hypotheses regarding SARS-CoV-2's potential oncogenic mechanisms, supported by recent PET/FDG imaging studies showing persistent metabolic alterations. The manuscript emphasizes the transformative potential of combining traditional virological methods with advanced AI technologies for better understanding and preventing virus-induced cancers, while highlighting the importance of long-term monitoring of COVID-19 survivors for potential oncogenic developments.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; artificial intelligence; metabolic programming; neuroimaging; viral oncogenesis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The author declares no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Convergent mechanisms in viral oncogenesis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Multi-Modal Risk Assessment in Viral Oncogenesis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Temporal Progression of Viral Infection to Potential Oncogenesis.
Figure 4
Figure 4
AI-based diagnostic process in viral oncology.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. de Martel C., Ferlay J., Franceschi S., Vignat J., Bray F., Forman D., Plummer M. Global burden of cancers attributable to infections in 2008: A review and synthetic analysis. Lancet Oncol. 2012;13:607–615. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(12)70137-7. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Plummer M., de Martel C., Vignat J., Ferlay J., Bray F., Franceschi S. Global burden of cancers attributable to infections in 2012: A synthetic analysis. Lancet Glob. Health. 2016;4:e609–e616. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(16)30143-7. - DOI - PubMed
    1. zur Hausen H. The search for infectious causes of human cancers: Where and why (Nobel lecture) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009;48:5798–5808. doi: 10.1002/anie.200901917. - DOI - PubMed
    1. IARC Working Group Biological agents. IARC Monogr. Eval. Carcinog. Risks Hum. 2012;100B:1–441. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tang K.W., Alaei-Mahabadi B., Samuelsson T., Lindh M., Larsson E. The landscape of viral expression and host gene fusion and adaptation in human cancer. Nat. Commun. 2013;4:2513. doi: 10.1038/ncomms3513. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources