In vitro analysis of the regulatory role of miRNAs and cytokines in toxoplasmosis

• Grant number: 21/12457-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2022
• End date: December 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Cristina da Silva Meira Strejevitch
• Grantee: Juliana Aparecida Carvalho Rossi
• Host Institution: Instituto Adolfo Lutz (IAL). Coordenadoria de Controle de Doenças (CCD). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Recent studies show that microRNAs (miRNAs), small molecules that play an important role in the regulation of gene expression in eukaryotic cells, are capable of negatively regulating the processing, stability and translation of several target messenger RNAs for the production of cytokines. However, the regulatory mechanisms involved during Toxoplasma gondii infection still remain unknown. Thus, the objective of this project will be to know the profile of cytokines and the potential miRNAs involved in their regulation in the in vitro model, in order to determine when these miRNAs are being released and their role in the production of target cytokines. The experiments will be conducted by infection of human macrophages by T. gondii and gene expression analyzes will be performed by real-time PCR. We believe that the investigation of the performance of these molecules in the regulation of the immune system is timely and relevant. The correlation of miRNA and the profile of the cytokine gene expression response broadens the understanding of the molecular relationship established between host and parasite during infection. These assays are extremely important for the conduction and continuity of a larger project in which we intend to carry out the functional characterization of miRNAs in symptomatic toxoplasmosis. In addition, these findings may provide information about this important mechanism of gene silencing in toxoplasmosis, in addition to the learning and scientific enrichment that this project will provide.(AU)