Identification of Effective Genes in Feline Infectious Peritonitis and Drug Repurposing Using Systems Biology Approach

Abstract

FIP is a systemic infectious disease of cats of coronavirus origin. The lack of clear signs of the presence of the virus before clinical form presentation, and the absence of easy and inexpensive diagnostic tests to confirm virus presence are among the problems for controlling and preventing the spread of the virus. In addition, there is not yet any approved medications or treatment protocols for this disease. In this paper, the gene co-expression network was first reconstructed and modulated using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. The GO and pathways of the modules were obtained using the DAVID and KEGG databases. The most important possible pathways are proteasome, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, protein export, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, phagosome, tuberculosis, and T cell receptor signaling pathway. In the other part of the study, the gene-drug network regeneration strategy was used to identify a potential medicine reconstructed using the DGIdb database and Cytoscape software using the drug-gene network. BORTEZOMIB, CARFILZOMIB, OPROZOMIB, IXAZOMIB CITRATE, MARIZOMIB, BCG VACCINE, IC14, NELFINAVIR, and RITONAVIR are some of our recommended drugs for this disease. Although our computational strategy predicts repurposable candidate drugs against FIP, more detailed experimental trials and clinical analyses of drug performance, toxicity, and validation are necessary to achieve an accurate and improved treatment protocol.

Keywords

• feline infectious peritonitis
• systems biology
• gene co-expression
• drug repurposing
• coronaviridae