involvement of epigenetics in the pathogenesis, testing and management of coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) pandemic: a narrative review

Background: there is an intense search for the coronavirus disease 19 (covid-19) cure,to stem the spread and burden of the disease worldwide. studies revealed that epigeneticmodifications impact the pathogenesis of some covid-19 cases, which can be used astherapeutic targets.objectives: this review articulated the role of epigenetics in the pathogenesis andmanagement of covid-19.methods: relevant articles published between january 2000 and november 2020 wereretrieved from reputable academic databases, including pubmed, springerlink, scopus, andgoogle scholar.results: epigenetic modifications in the covid-19’s pathogen, called the severe acuterespiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (sars-cov-2) and host’s cells may influencesusceptibility or resistance to the disease. notably, abnormal deoxyribonucleic acid (dna)methylation and histone modification involving immune regulatory genes and molecules,such as cytokines and interferon-regulated genes may compromise immune function andenhance the host’s susceptibility and disease severity. the hypomethylation of sars-cov-2’sreceptor, called the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ace2), causing its overexpression,can also enhance sars-cov-2’s infectivity. moreover, sars-cov-2 can hijack the host’smicrorna (mirna) using its mirna and compromise the immune function, increasingits infectivity. fortunately, epigenetic changes are reversible; thus, a therapy that targets theepigenetic changes in the affected case may reverse covid-19.conclusion: modifications in the sars-cov-2 or host epigenome promote the pathogenesis andseverity of covid-19. epigenetic changes are reversible, so healthcare providers are advised toformulate therapeutic procedures that target the causal mechanisms in the affected individual.