Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | Differentially expressed miR-3158-3p microRNA in severe malaria: from discovery to validation |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Himanshu Gupta, G.L.A. University, Uttar Pradesh |
Timeline Start Year : | 2022 |
Timeline End Year : | 2024 |
Contact info : | himanshugupta.hcu@gmail.com |
Details
Executive Summary : | Case fatality rates for Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) severe malaria (SM) remain unacceptably high in malaria endemic countries (MECs). Co-infections are frequent in MECs, with overlapping and non-specific symptoms such as fever. In addition, the progression of Pf infection is silent: while the immune response builds, the parasite burden increases causing organ dysfunction and associated mortality. In view of these facts, there are unmet needs for the early and accurate diagnosis of patients at risk of developing life-threatening SM, especially in the era of COVID-19, when resources are limited, and immediate treatment is needed to save lives. MicroRNAs are rapidly released into the blood circulation upon physiological changes, including infection and organ damage. Because secreted miRNAs are extremely stable in biologic fluids, making them highly promising non-invasive biomarkers with the potential to detect an infection, but also to diagnose early-stage tissue or organ damage. MiRNAs are involved in regulating gene expression endogenously at the post-transcriptional level, either through translation repression or mRNA degradation, thus providing an exciting avenue for therapeutic interventions. In this project, we will validate the association of hsa-miR-3158-3p with malaria severity and confirm its interaction with genes involved in SM and brain injury associated processes. This will further validate its use as a biomarker of SM that has the potential to be translated into cheap, reliable diagnostic and/or prognostic tools for clinicians to identify patients at risk of developing life-threatening disease. Project results will also provide an exciting avenue towards SM therapeutics, which are crucial as the development of drug-resistant Plasmodium strains against existing antimalarials is a key factor preventing the eradication of malaria. |
Total Budget (INR): | 30,50,340 |
Organizations involved