Impact of inflammatory response in cardiac and renal cells induced by accessory proteins of SARS-CoV-2: study of ORF 3a, ORF 6 and ORF 8 proteins

• Grant number: 22/01124-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2022
• End date: May 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Marcela Sorelli Carneiro Ramos
• Grantee: Giovana Marchini Armentano
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cardiovascular changes associated with SARS-CoV-2 have been the subject of numerous studies in the world scientific community. Patients affected by the new coronavirus have an important systemic inflammatory condition, responsible for damage to various tissues, especially heart, kidneys and vessels. Still, it is already well known that the heart and kidneys have a close relationship and any change in one of the organs can lead to damage in the other organ, so what we know as Cardiorenal Syndrome (CRS) is established. In this way, we proposed to study SCR3 in vitro, using culture of heart and kidney cells through the study of SARS-CoV-2 proteins, especially the proteins encoded by accessory genes, for a better understanding of the virus replication mechanisms and the pathogenesis in the cardiovascular and renal systems. For that, we will use HEK292 renal cell culture models that will be submitted to transfection with the accessory genes ORF3a, ORF6 and ORF8 from the ORF gene, encoding the S protein (spike). Subsequently, we will perform the treatment of the cardiac lineage H9c2 with the culture medium conditioned by the renal cells previously submitted to the transfection. Molecular parameters related to kidney injury, cardiac trophism, as well as parameters related to the inflammatory status of both strains will be evaluated. (AU)