The Effect of miRNA Mimic hsa-miR-7704 on in-Vitro Replication of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infections are of the most common diseases in human population. HSV-1 can cause subclinical to severe diseases, especially in immunocompromised patients. There are few anti-herpes drugs for treatment of HSV-1 infection. Acyclovir is one of the most important drugs. The extensive use of this drug has led to the development of resistant strains. Therefore, development of new anti- herpes drugs with different mechanisms is noticeable. This study aimed to use microRNAs as a novel method for inhibiting HSV-1 infection. Synthesized miRNA mimics hsa-miR-7704 (miR-SX1) were transfected into Hela cells, and then infected with HSV-1. Cellular morphological changes were observed 24 hours post-infection by inverted microscope, and photographed. Viral titers were measured using 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) method. Findings: miR-SX-1-transfected cells produced low-titer HSV-1, without affecting cell viability. The data suggest that miR-SX1 inhibits HSV-1 replication, and may provide an alternative mechanism to prevent HSV-1 infection