MCPyV and Oxidative Stress: Focus on Mechanism of Action Associated with Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a life-threatening, aggressive cancer. MCV genome integration into epidermal keratinocytes or dermal fibroblasts leads to polyomavirus-associated MCC (MCCP). Many cancer types show an increased amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the growing and metastatic phases. An increase in the oxidative stress pathway results in an elevated amount of ROS. It is supposed that MCV uses the same mechanisms for inducing cancer. It can be considered that viral MCCs could be the result of oxidative stress pathways in the MCC-causing viral agent, the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). The objective of this study was to examine the role of oxidative stress in cancers associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV). The search strategy was performed in PubMed, NCBI, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Medline on cancer, oxidative stress, and gene manipulation up to 10 June 2022 by searching the following keywords: MCV, oxidative stress, cancer, and MCC. The cells’ uncontrolled increase in ROS amounts results in difficulties including changes in genome structure and instability. Some of these changes account for unwanted replication and inflammation in damaged cells. This investigation of the oxidative stress pathway and its role in MCC highlights new approaches for cancer therapy methods. These free radicals have been proposed to significantly contribute to DNA damage, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are considered key mediators in the development of Merkel cell carcinoma.