Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 23, 2025

An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection
09:01

An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

Published on: December 10, 2013

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SARS-CoV-2 infection initiates interleukin-17-enriched transcriptional response in different cells from multiple

Md Zobaer Hasan1,2, Syful Islam3, Kenichi Matsumoto3

  • 1Laboratory of Molecular Immunobiology, Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Nara, 630-0192, Japan. hasan@rohto.co.jp.

Scientific Reports
|August 20, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection triggers unique molecular pathways, including IL-17 signaling and cytokine storm, offering potential therapeutic targets for this global health threat.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular biology
  • Systems biology
  • Infectious diseases

Background:

  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic poses a global health threat.
  • Limited understanding of SARS-CoV-2 molecular mechanisms and therapeutic interventions.
  • Urgent need to elucidate cellular-level infection processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To understand the molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection using a systems biology approach.
  • To identify key genes and pathways uniquely associated with SARS-CoV-2.
  • To explore potential drug repurposing and therapeutic targets.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of publicly available RNA-seq datasets for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • Comparison with transcriptomic data from other lung pathogenic infections.
  • Identification of differentially expressed genes and activated pathways.

Main Results:

  • Several key genes, including interleukin (IL)-6, CXCL8, CCL20, CXCL1, and CXCL3, were upregulated.
  • SARS-CoV-2 infection uniquely activated the IL-17 signaling pathway and cytokine storm.
  • Transcriptomic signature analysis suggested potential drug repurposing candidates.

Conclusions:

  • The study identifies critical molecular pathways underlying SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.
  • Key genes and the IL-17 signaling pathway are highlighted as potential therapeutic targets.
  • This research provides a foundation for developing novel interventions against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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