Integrated network analysis reveals new genes suggesting COVID-19 chronic effects and treatment. Issue 2 (11th February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pavel, Alisa; del Giudice, Giusy; Federico, Antonio; Di Lieto, Antonio; Kinaret, Pia A S; Serra, Angela; Greco, Dario
• Is Part Of: Briefings in bioinformatics. Volume 22:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 1430
• Page End: 1441
• Publication Date: 2021-02-11
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- SARS-CoV-2 -- coronavirus -- virus–host interaction -- unified knowledge space -- data integration -- multi-layer network analysis -- drug targeting -- drug repositioning; Genetics -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Genomes -- Data processing -- Periodicals; 572.80285
• DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbaa417
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1467-5463

Abstract

Abstract: The COVID-19 disease led to an unprecedented health emergency, still ongoing worldwide. Given the lack of a vaccine or a clear therapeutic strategy to counteract the infection as well as its secondary effects, there is currently a pressing need to generate new insights into the SARS-CoV-2 induced host response. Biomedical data can help to investigate new aspects of the COVID-19 pathogenesis, but source heterogeneity represents a major drawback and limitation. In this work, we applied data integration methods to develop a Unified Knowledge Space (UKS) and used it to identify a new set of genes associated with SARS-CoV-2 host response, both in vitro and in vivo. Functional analysis of these genes reveals possible long-term systemic effects of the infection, such as vascular remodelling and fibrosis. Finally, we identified a set of potentially relevant drugs targeting proteins involved in multiple steps of the host response to the virus.