02032nas a2200337   4500000000100000008004100001260002300042653002400065653001300089653002300102653001200125653001100137653001100148653001500159653001400174653001300188100002400201700002200225700002400247700001400271700001300285700001200298700001500310700001900325245006400344856009200408300000900500490000700509520116400516022001401680       2023                            d  bFrontiers Media SA10aGenetics (clinical)10aGenetics10aMolecular Medicine10aleprosy10ancRNAs10amiRNAs10atratamento10aInfection10aImmunity1 aSantana-da-Silva MN1 aSena-dos-Santos C1 aCáceres-Durán MÁ1 aSouza FGD1 aGobbo AR1 aPinto P1 aSalgado CG1 ados Santos SEB00ancRNAs: an unexplored cellular defense mechanism in leprosy  uhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2023.1295586/pdf?isPublishedV2=False  a1-110 v143 a<p>Leprosy is an infectious disease primarily caused by the obligate intracellular parasite Mycobacterium leprae. Although it has been considered eradicated in many countries, leprosy continues to be a health issue in developing nations. Besides the social stigma associated with it, individuals affected by leprosy may experience nerve damage leading to physical disabilities if the disease is not properly treated or early diagnosed. Leprosy is recognized as a complex disease wherein socioenvironmental factors, immune response, and host genetics interact to contribute to its development. Recently, a new field of study called epigenetics has emerged, revealing that the immune response and other mechanisms related to infectious diseases can be influenced by noncoding RNAs. This review aims to summarize the significant advancements concerning non-coding RNAs in leprosy, discussing the key perspectives on this novel approach to comprehending the pathophysiology of the disease and identifying molecular markers. In our view, investigations on non-coding RNAs in leprosy hold promise and warrant increased attention from researches in this field.</p>
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