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MicroRNA-based Regulation of Picornavirus Tropism
Published on: February 6, 2017
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Differentially-regulated miRNAs in COVID-19: A systematic review
Waqar Ahmad1, Bushra Gull1, Jasmin Baby1
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS), United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Reviews in Medical Virology
|May 5, 2023
Summary
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are altered by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Dysregulated miRNAs show potential as biomarkers for predicting COVID-19 prognosis and developing new antiviral therapies.
Area of Science:
- Virology and Molecular Biology
- Immunology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19, a global health challenge with varied prognosis.
- SARS-CoV-2 infection disrupts host gene expression, particularly microRNA (miRNA) regulation.
- miRNAs are key post-transcriptional regulators implicated in host-pathogen interactions.
Approach:
- Systematic review and analysis of existing studies on miRNA dysregulation in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.
- Assessment of concordance between different studies regarding miRNA expression changes.
- Identification of potential miRNA biomarkers for infection, disease progression, and mortality.
Key Points:
- SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to significant dysregulation of host miRNAs.
- Specific miRNAs show altered expression patterns correlating with COVID-19 severity.
- miRNA dysregulation can be both a host antiviral response and a viral pro-pathogenesis mechanism.
Conclusions:
- Dysregulated miRNAs in COVID-19 patients hold promise as reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.
- Identifying these miRNA biomarkers is crucial for predicting disease outcomes, even in patients with comorbidities.
- miRNA-based therapeutics offer a potential avenue for future antiviral strategies against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging viral threats.
