Deciphering the RNA Biology of SARS-CoV-2
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Principal Investigator: Stefan Muljo Organization: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES Fiscal Year: 2020 Award: $27,488 Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases We are taking an RNA-centric approach that aims to develop an RNA-based anti-COVID-19 drug. If we can successfully identify one or multiple miRNAs essential for viral life cycle, then these represent promising anti-viral targets, and could be immediately inhibited using therapeutic anti-sense technology (eg. "antagomirs"). This line of research is urgently needed to provide a fresh angle of attack. If successful and miRNAs turn out to be key to the viral life cycle in vivo, it could provide us with another weapon to fight the COVID-19 pandemic or the next coronavirus. We are collaborating with Dr. Bernard Lafont (NIAID) and the SARS-CoV-2 virology core (SVC) who will perform viral infections in human cell lines in their BSL-3 facility. We have made a detailed experiment plan and will begin work as soon as we have obtained all necessary approvals. While not the primary goal of our project, the viral miRNAs could also be used for diagnosis. In addition to the proposed cell culture experiments, we anticipate collaborating with Dr. Katrin Mayer-Barber (NIAID) to test the in vivo importance of specific miRNAs in mouse models of SARS-CoV-2 infection (eg. K18-hACE2 transgenic mouse). Terms: <2019 novel coronavirus><2019-nCoV><Anti-sense Technology><Antisense Technology><Antiviral Agents><Antiviral Drugs><Antivirals><BSL-3 facility><BSL3 facility><Barbering><Biology><COVID-19><COVID-19 epidemic><COVID-19 pandemic><COVID19><COVID19 epidemic><COVID19 pandemic><Cell Culture Techniques><Coronaviridae><Coronavirus><Diagnosis><Drug Targeting><Drugs><Goals><Human Cell Line><Infection><K-18><K-18 conjugate><K18><K18 combination><Life Cycle><Life Cycle Stages><Medication><Micro RNA><MicroRNAs><NIAID><National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease><Non-Polyadenylated RNA><Pathogenesis><Pharmaceutic Preparations><Pharmaceutical Preparations><RNA><RNA Gene Products><RNA Viruses><Research><Ribonucleic Acid><SARS-CoV-2><SARS-CoV2><SARS-associated coronavirus 2><SARS-coronavirus-2><SARS-related coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><Small RNA><Therapeutic><Therapeutic Uses><Transgenic Mice><Viral><Viral Diseases><Virus><Virus Diseases><Work><Wuhan coronavirus><anti-viral agents><anti-viral drugs><anti-virals><base><biosafety level 3 facility><cell culture><corona virus><corona virus disease 2019><corona virus disease 2019 epidemic><corona virus disease 2019 pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019><coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic><coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic><drug/agent><experiment><experimental research><experimental study><fighting><in vivo><in vivo evaluation><in vivo testing><interest><life course><miRNA><miRNAs><mouse model><murine model><therapeutic target><viral infection><virology><virus infection><virus-induced disease><weapons>