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WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL FUNCTION OF MICRORNAS AS BIOMARKERS AND THERAPEUTIC TARGETS IN COVID-19?
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Instituto Estadual do Cérebro. Laboratório de Neuropatologia e Genética Molecular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Instituto Estadual do Cérebro. Laboratório de Neuropatologia e Genética Molecular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Instituto Estadual do Cérebro. Laboratório de Neuropatologia e Genética Molecular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Instituto Estadual do Cérebro. Laboratório de Neuropatologia e Genética Molecular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Escola de Medicina. Centro de Pesquisa em Neuroendocrinologia. Divisão de Endocrinologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Instituto Estadual do Cérebro. Laboratório de Neuropatologia e Genética Molecular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Instituto Estadual do Cérebro. Laboratório de Neuropatologia e Genética Molecular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Instituto Estadual do Cérebro. Laboratório de Neuropatologia e Genética Molecular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Escola de Medicina. Centro de Pesquisa em Neuroendocrinologia. Divisão de Endocrinologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of COVID-19, a pandemic associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Despite of this, no vaccine or approved drug is available to eradicate the virus. In this manuscript, we present an alternative study area that may contribute to development of diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for COVID-19. We analyzed sixty SARS-CoV-2 genomes to identify regions that could work as virus-encoded miRNA seed sponges and potentially bind to human miRNA seed sites and prevent interaction with their native targets thereby relieving native miRNA suppression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionally conserved single-stranded RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level by disrupting translation. MiRNAs are key players in variety of biological processes that regulate differentiation, development and activation of immune cells in both innate and adaptive immunity. We find 34 miRNAs for positive-sense viral RNA and 45 miRNAs for negative-sense that can strongly bind to certain key SARS-CoV-2 genes. The disruption and dysfunction of miRNAs may perturb the immune response and stimulate the release of inflammatory cytokines altering the cellular response to viral infection. Previous studies demonstrate that miRNAs have the potential to be used as diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers. Therefore, its discovery and validation are essential for improving the diagnosis of infection and clinical monitoring in COVID-19.
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