Bioinformatics Prediction of miRNAs Targeting E6 and E7 Genes in Human Papillomavirus Types 16 and 18 in Cervical Cancer

Cervical Cancer (CC) is the third most common malignancy in the women, the main cause of which is human papillomavirus (HPV). Both E6 and E7 oncogenes of the virus play an important role in its tumorigenesis. Today, methods available for screening CC are not capable of detecting the disease at an early stage. Therefore, it is important to identify new biomarkers for early detection of this cancer. For this purpose, in the present study, miRNAs targeting the two oncogenes E6 and E7 of human papillomavirus (types 16 and 18) were studied in CC by bioinformatics.

Methods & Materials:

 First, using the NCBI database, the E6 and E7 gene sequences were obtained for both human papillomavirus types 16 and 18. Then, using the miRBase and RNA22 bioinformatics databases, the most appropriate targeting miRNAs for these genes were selected.

Ethical Considerations:

 This study was approved by Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences.

 Based on the P obtained from bioinformatics databases, miRNA including miR-92a-5p (P=7.51e-2), miR-195-3p (P=2.24e-1), miR-34a-5p (P=2.73e-1) and miR-155-5p (P=4.95e-2) were introduced for the two genes E6 and E7.

 Results from bioinformatics studies revealed that of the four miRNAs identified, miR-155-5p and miR-92a-5p are probably the targeting miRNAs specific for the E6 and E7 genes, respectively. Therefore, it seems that these miRNAs can be a suitable candidate for in vitro studies in CC patients.