Finnish Researchers Sound Alarm as SARS-CoV-2 Found to Modify Human Genes via RNA Modifications!
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Sep 08, 2025 2 days, 9 hours, 23 minutes ago
Medical News: Scientists Uncover Hidden Viral Tricks
A new study by researchers at the Institute of Biotechnology and the Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland, together with colleagues from the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, has revealed how SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, manipulates human cells at the genetic level. The team used cutting-edge direct RNA sequencing technology to investigate how the virus changes both its own RNA and the RNA of human host cells. This
Medical News report highlights the shocking ways the coronavirus reprograms our cells to its advantage.
Finnish Researchers Sound Alarm as SARS-CoV-2 Found to Modify Human Genes via RNA Modifications
What the Scientists Did
The researchers infected special human cells, known as HEK-AT cells, with SARS-CoV-2 and examined them eight hours later. Using Oxford Nanopore sequencing machines, they analyzed not only the virus’s genetic material but also the host cell’s RNA. This approach allowed them to see changes in RNA modifications, gene activity, and even the way different versions of the same gene (called isoforms) were produced.
Viral RNA Modifications
The virus itself showed 16 distinct chemical marks known as m6A modifications scattered across its genome. Most were located in two important viral genes: ORF1ab, which controls virus replication, and the spike gene, which allows the virus to enter human cells. These modifications can influence how stable the viral RNA is and how efficiently it makes proteins. Interestingly, the researchers noticed that smaller viral RNAs, called subgenomic RNAs, carried more of these chemical marks than the full viral genome, suggesting the virus uses this strategy to boost its ability to spread inside cells.
Human Cells Rewired by the Virus
The story does not stop with the virus. The scientists discovered that in human cells, 254 RNA positions were altered by infection. At some sites, the chemical modifications increased, while at others they decreased. Notably, a set of five genes involved in the neurotrophin signaling pathway—a system vital for brain health and nerve survival—showed reduced modification. This could help explain why COVID-19 is often linked to neurological problems such as brain fog, memory issues, and mood changes.
On top of that, the virus triggered isoform switching in 21 human genes. Isoforms are alternative versions of genes that can carry out different tasks. Many of the switches affected genes tied to mitochondria, the energy factories of our cells. This finding adds to growing evidence that SARS-CoV-2 disrupts human energy metabolism, which may play a role in symptoms like fatigue and long COVID.
Newly Discovered Human Gene Isoform
A surprising discovery was a previously unknown version of the human HIST1H2BK gene, which was much more active in infected cells. While it does not change the prot
eins made, the extra RNA sequences could act as regulators, influencing how long the RNA survives or how efficiently it is used by the cell.
What It All Means
This study paints a detailed picture of how SARS-CoV-2 hijacks human genetic machinery. By marking viral and human RNAs with chemical tags, the virus may fine-tune its replication while weakening host defenses. The discovery of reduced RNA modifications in brain-related pathways and major shifts in mitochondrial genes provides strong clues about how COVID-19 causes lingering neurological and metabolic symptoms.
Conclusions
The findings highlight that COVID-19 is not just a lung infection but a disease that reprograms the body at the genetic level. By altering RNA modifications and gene isoforms, the virus can silence certain defenses, destabilize brain-related pathways, and tamper with energy production inside mitochondria. These effects could explain long-term symptoms in many survivors. Importantly, the research opens doors to new treatments: if scientists can design drugs that block or reverse these RNA changes, it might be possible to reduce both acute and long-term damage from the virus. The study also reminds us that SARS-CoV-2 continues to reveal new tricks, and only by understanding its full impact on our cells can medicine stay ahead.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Access Microbiology
https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/acmi/10.1099/acmi.0.001019.v2
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