Small Non-coding RNAs Associated with Viral Infectious Diseases of Veterinary Importance: Potential Clinical Applications

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) molecules that can regulate mRNAs by inducing their degradation or by blocking translation. Considering that miRNAs are ubiquitous, stable, and conserved across animal species, it seems feasible to exploit them for clinical applications. Unlike in human viral diseases, where some miRNA-based molecules have progressed to clinical application, in veterinary medicine, this concept is just starting to come into view. Clinically, miRNAs could represent powerful diagnostic tools to pinpoint animal viral diseases and/or prognostic tools to follow up disease progression or remission. Additionally, the possible consequences of miRNA dysregulation make them potential therapeutic targets and open the possibilities to use them as tools to generate viral disease-resistant livestock. This review presents an update of preclinical studies on using sncRNAs to combat viral diseases that affect pet and farm animals. Moreover, we discuss the possibilities and challenges of bringing these bench-based discoveries to the veterinary clinic.

microRNAs in viral acute respiratory infections: immune regulation, biomarkers, therapy, and vaccines

“…Influenza is caused by a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the Orthomyxoviridae family [53], and there are three types of influenza virus (IV): A, B, and C. Type A (influenza A) viruses are subclassified depending on the two proteins present on their surface, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase (H and N, respectively) [54]. There are 16 different types of hemagglutinin and 9 types of neuraminidase currently known [55,56].…”

MicroRNAs in the Host Response to Viral Infections of Veterinary Importance

“…In general, miRNA half-life ranges from hours to days, but this obviously varies depending on the organ, body fluid, and cell type ( 37 ). Compared to other RNA species, their stability in stored biosamples is generally much higher than that of other RNA species, which increases their value for biomarker studies using biobanked animal or human biosamples ( 7 ). For instance, in contrast to mRNA, they are highly stable in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks, allowing for localization and expression studies even after years of storage ( 38 ).…”

“…Additional functional implications of these shared miRNAs in the course of IAV infection are discussed in Ref. ( 7 ).…”

“…miRNAs have been shown to play important roles in essentially all biological processes ( 5 ), and the differential expression of host miRNAs during infection ( 1 , 6 ) supports the idea that they may constitute key players in the host response to invading pathogens. We recently summarized trials of therapeutic interventions based on small non-coding RNAs for treatment or prevention of infectious diseases of veterinary importance ( 7 ). The current review presents an update on miRNA biogenesis and profiling, discusses some of the challenges encountered when studying them in animals, and summarizes current knowledge of the roles of miRNAs in viral infectious diseases in their respective natural animal hosts.…”

MicroRNA-Directed Cancer Therapies: Implications in Melanoma Intervention

“…In general, miRNA half-life ranges from hours to days and varies depending on the organs, body fluids, and cell types (van Rooij et al, 2007). In comparison with mRNA, miRNAs are highly stable in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks or biobank stored animal and human biosamples, which allow its use for localization and expression studies as biomarkers even after years of storage (Hall et al, 2012;Samir and Pessler, 2016). miRNAs play important roles in essentially all biologic processes (Tufekci et al, 2014).…”