MicroRNAs in long COVID: roles, diagnostic biomarker potential and detection
Abstract Long COVID or Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC), marked by persistent symptoms lasting weeks to months after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, affects multiple organ systems including the respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, and renal systems. These prolon...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Human Genomics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40246-025-00810-0 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849331959138877440 |
|---|---|
| author | Naomi-Eunicia Paval Olga Adriana Căliman-Sturdza Andrei Lobiuc Mihai Dimian Ioan-Ovidiu Sirbu Mihai Covasa |
| author_facet | Naomi-Eunicia Paval Olga Adriana Căliman-Sturdza Andrei Lobiuc Mihai Dimian Ioan-Ovidiu Sirbu Mihai Covasa |
| author_sort | Naomi-Eunicia Paval |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Long COVID or Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC), marked by persistent symptoms lasting weeks to months after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, affects multiple organ systems including the respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, and renal systems. These prolonged effects stem from chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, and direct viral injury. MicroRNAs (miRNAs)—small non-coding RNAs involved in gene regulation—play a pivotal role in this process by modulating immune responses, inflammation, and cellular stress. Altered miRNA expression patterns during and after infection contribute to the pathogenesis of Long COVID. While conventional miRNA detection techniques have been valuable, they face limitations in sensitivity, throughput, and detecting RNA modifications. This review highlights Oxford Nanopore Sequencing (ONS) as a promising alternative, offering real-time, long-read, amplification-free RNA sequencing that preserves native modifications. ONS enables direct sequencing of full-length miRNAs and their precursors, providing novel insights into miRNA processing and regulatory roles. Despite current challenges with short-read accuracy, ongoing technical advances are improving ONS performance. Its integration in miRNA profiling holds significant potential for uncovering novel regulatory interactions and advancing clinical biomarker discovery in Long COVID and other conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3d50fba3bdca40a48aa61784bb439c94 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1479-7364 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Human Genomics |
| spelling | doaj-art-3d50fba3bdca40a48aa61784bb439c942025-08-20T03:46:21ZengBMCHuman Genomics1479-73642025-08-0119112210.1186/s40246-025-00810-0MicroRNAs in long COVID: roles, diagnostic biomarker potential and detectionNaomi-Eunicia Paval0Olga Adriana Căliman-Sturdza1Andrei Lobiuc2Mihai Dimian3Ioan-Ovidiu Sirbu4Mihai Covasa5Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, Stefan Cel Mare UniversityFaculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, Stefan Cel Mare UniversityIntegrated Center for Research, Development and Innovation for Advanced Materials, Nanotechnologies, Manufacturing and Control Distributed Systems (MANSiD), Ştefan Cel Mare University of SuceavaDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, Stefan Cel Mare UniversityAbstract Long COVID or Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC), marked by persistent symptoms lasting weeks to months after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, affects multiple organ systems including the respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, and renal systems. These prolonged effects stem from chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, and direct viral injury. MicroRNAs (miRNAs)—small non-coding RNAs involved in gene regulation—play a pivotal role in this process by modulating immune responses, inflammation, and cellular stress. Altered miRNA expression patterns during and after infection contribute to the pathogenesis of Long COVID. While conventional miRNA detection techniques have been valuable, they face limitations in sensitivity, throughput, and detecting RNA modifications. This review highlights Oxford Nanopore Sequencing (ONS) as a promising alternative, offering real-time, long-read, amplification-free RNA sequencing that preserves native modifications. ONS enables direct sequencing of full-length miRNAs and their precursors, providing novel insights into miRNA processing and regulatory roles. Despite current challenges with short-read accuracy, ongoing technical advances are improving ONS performance. Its integration in miRNA profiling holds significant potential for uncovering novel regulatory interactions and advancing clinical biomarker discovery in Long COVID and other conditions.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40246-025-00810-0Immune dysregulationNoncoding RNANanopore sequencingInflammationBiomarker discovery |
| spellingShingle | Naomi-Eunicia Paval Olga Adriana Căliman-Sturdza Andrei Lobiuc Mihai Dimian Ioan-Ovidiu Sirbu Mihai Covasa MicroRNAs in long COVID: roles, diagnostic biomarker potential and detection Human Genomics Immune dysregulation Noncoding RNA Nanopore sequencing Inflammation Biomarker discovery |
| title | MicroRNAs in long COVID: roles, diagnostic biomarker potential and detection |
| title_full | MicroRNAs in long COVID: roles, diagnostic biomarker potential and detection |
| title_fullStr | MicroRNAs in long COVID: roles, diagnostic biomarker potential and detection |
| title_full_unstemmed | MicroRNAs in long COVID: roles, diagnostic biomarker potential and detection |
| title_short | MicroRNAs in long COVID: roles, diagnostic biomarker potential and detection |
| title_sort | micrornas in long covid roles diagnostic biomarker potential and detection |
| topic | Immune dysregulation Noncoding RNA Nanopore sequencing Inflammation Biomarker discovery |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40246-025-00810-0 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT naomieuniciapaval micrornasinlongcovidrolesdiagnosticbiomarkerpotentialanddetection AT olgaadrianacalimansturdza micrornasinlongcovidrolesdiagnosticbiomarkerpotentialanddetection AT andreilobiuc micrornasinlongcovidrolesdiagnosticbiomarkerpotentialanddetection AT mihaidimian micrornasinlongcovidrolesdiagnosticbiomarkerpotentialanddetection AT ioanovidiusirbu micrornasinlongcovidrolesdiagnosticbiomarkerpotentialanddetection AT mihaicovasa micrornasinlongcovidrolesdiagnosticbiomarkerpotentialanddetection |