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Integrated network analysis reveals new genes suggesting COVID-19 chronic effects and treatment
Alisa Pavel1,2, Giusy Del Giudice1,2, Antonio Federico1,2
1Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
Abstract:
The COVID-19 disease led to an unprecedented health emergency, still ongoing worldwide. Given the lack of a vaccine or a clear therapeutic strategy to counteract the infection as well as its secondary effects, there is currently a pressing need to generate new insights into the SARS-CoV-2 induced host response. Biomedical data can help to investigate new aspects of the COVID-19 pathogenesis, but source heterogeneity represents a major drawback and limitation. In this work, we applied data integration methods to develop a Unified Knowledge Space (UKS) and used it to identify a new set of genes associated with SARS-CoV-2 host response, both in vitro and in vivo. Functional analysis of these genes reveals possible long-term systemic effects of the infection, such as vascular remodelling and fibrosis. Finally, we identified a set of potentially relevant drugs targeting proteins involved in multiple steps of the host response to the virus.
Insights
This study integrates diverse biomedical data to identify genes and potential drug targets involved in the host response to COVID-19, revealing insights into long-term effects like vascular remodelling and fibrosis.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Infectious Diseases
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic presents an ongoing global health emergency.
- A lack of vaccines and clear therapeutics necessitates deeper understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 host response.
- Heterogeneity in biomedical data poses a significant challenge for COVID-19 research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a Unified Knowledge Space (UKS) for integrating heterogeneous biomedical data.
- To identify novel genes associated with the SARS-CoV-2 host response.
- To uncover potential long-term systemic effects and therapeutic targets for COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Applied data integration techniques to create a Unified Knowledge Space (UKS).
- Utilized UKS to identify genes implicated in the host response to SARS-CoV-2, both in vitro and in vivo.
- Performed functional analysis on identified genes and screened for potential drug targets.
Main Results:
- Identified a novel set of genes linked to the SARS-CoV-2 host response.
- Functional analysis suggests potential long-term systemic consequences, including vascular remodelling and fibrosis.
- Discovered a collection of drugs targeting key proteins in the viral host response pathway.
Conclusions:
- Data integration provides a powerful approach to understanding complex diseases like COVID-19.
- The identified genes and pathways offer new avenues for investigating COVID-19 pathogenesis and long-term sequelae.
- This research highlights potential therapeutic strategies targeting the host's response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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