IDENTIFICATION OF MICRORNA BIOMARKERS ASSOCIATED WITH MULTIPLE SYSTEM ATROPHY USING INTEGRATED IN SILICO ANALYSIS

Background:
Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a rare and rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorder
characterized by autonomic dysfunction, parkinsonism, and cerebellar impairment. Due to
overlapping clinical symptoms with other neurodegenerative diseases, early diagnosis of MSA
remains challenging. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene
expression at the post-transcriptional level, have emerged as promising biomarkers in
neurological disorders. Identifying miRNAs associated with MSA may provide insights into
disease mechanisms and facilitate the discovery of potential diagnostic biomarkers.
Methods:
In this study, an integrative bioinformatics approach was employed to identify potential
miRNA biomarkers associated with MSA. Disease-related miRNAs were retrieved and
analyzed using the web-based platform miRNet. The potential target genes of these miRNAs
were predicted using miRDB. A miRNA–gene regulatory network was constructed and
visualized using Cytoscape to identify key regulatory miRNAs and hub genes. Furthermore,
functional enrichment analysis of the predicted target genes was performed using Enrichr to
explore associated biological processes and signaling pathways.
Results:
The analysis identified several candidate miRNAs potentially involved in the pathogenesis of
MSA. The miRNA–gene interaction network revealed multiple regulatory relationships
between miRNAs and genes associated with neuronal survival, synaptic signaling, and
neuroinflammatory responses. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the predicted
target genes were significantly involved in biological pathways related to neurodegeneration,
apoptosis, and cellular stress responses, suggesting their possible role in disease progression.
Conclusion:
This integrative in silico analysis highlights several miRNAs that may serve as potential
biomarkers for MSA. The identified miRNA–gene regulatory networks provide insights into
the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease and may contribute to the development of
novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. However, further experimental validation is
required to confirm the biological significance of these candidate miRNAs in MSA.