Solving the 'COVID-19 Secret' with Zika Virus RNA Analysis Method

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Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Junho] Domestic researchers have embarked on analyzing the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) using an analytical method that measures cellular changes upon Zika virus infection.

On the 28th, the Safety Evaluation Research Institute announced that it will begin research to elucidate the mechanism of COVID-19 by utilizing RNA sequencing analysis methods of cells infected with the Zika virus.

The institute studies COVID-19 through comparative network analysis, which compares interactions between different proteins to understand gene activity. This method was originally used to measure changes in normal nerve cells and dendritic cells upon Zika virus infection.

Through this analytical method, the research team previously revealed that the Zika virus possesses a mechanism that attacks normal nerve cells while evading the immune response of dendritic cells, which are immune cells that attempt to eliminate the virus.

The Zika virus increased inflammatory genes in normal nerve cells and decreased the expression of genes involved in repairing damaged DNA, leading to cell death. In contrast, in dendritic cells, a type of immune cell, the expression of inflammation-related genes was rather reduced, and the DNA repair system functioned well.

The Zika virus, transmitted by forest mosquitoes, damages peripheral nerves, causing muscle weakness and fetal microcephaly.

Kang Myungkyun, head of the Toxicological Information Research Group, stated, "There have been reports that the COVID-19 virus infects not only lung cells but also nerve cells," adding, "We plan to conduct intercellular mechanism research on COVID-19 using the comparative network analysis method previously applied to analyze the Zika virus."

Meanwhile, the results of this study were published in the prestigious international journal PLOS ONE.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.