Integrative analysis of miRNA-mRNA networks in Leptospira spp infection of macrophages

• Grant number: 18/16621-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2018
• End date: October 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Flavia Lombardi Lopes
• Grantee: Nayra Cristina Herreira do Valle
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FMVA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis of global importance, mainly in developing countries in which the lethality can exceed 20%. The severity of the disease is associated with the host's age, health condition and immunity, as well as the pathogen's strain; however, the cell injury mechanisms and its molecular basis are still poorly understood. The influence of gene expression and epigenetic mechanisms are well described in other infections. On the present work, transcriptome and microtranscriptome following in vitro infection of macrophages data from previous works at our laboratory will be analyzed integratively to assay differential expression of miRNAs and mRNAs. Out of the results, this work aims to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of individuals suffering from the illness.