[Research progress on influenza antiviral small RNAs]

Abstract

Worldwide influenza caused by influenza virus is a respiratory disease which threats the public health by seasonal epidemics or global influenza outbreak. Vaccines and drugs are current therapies, but there are many restricted factors such as neurotoxicity, side effects of gastrointestinal, and drug resistance. New technologies, particularly RNAi mediated by small RNAs, has become a potential and robust method in influenza antiviral research for its high efficiency, specific, and speedy. Following the spread and epidemic of the influenza virus, application of small RNAs into influenza antiviral research has been reported increasingly. The small RNAs, PA-2087, NP-1496, and M-950, which targets PA, NP, and M2 genes, respectively, are the most effective anti-influenza siRNAs up to now. siRNA of targeting conservative region of different influenza viral genes has broader effect on virus inhibition. The combination of siRNAs of targeting different genes can achieve better virus inhibition. In this review, we mainly described the progress of siRNAs and miRNAs for anti-influenza virus, and the prospects and hurdles of influenza RNAi therapy as well.