Network biology and bioinformatics-based framework to identify the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infections on lung cancer and tuberculosis

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a coronavirus variation responsible for COVID-19, the respiratory disease that triggered the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary aim of our study is to elucidate the complex network of interactions between SARS-CoV-2, tuberculosis, and lung cancer employing a bioinformatics and network biology approach. Lung cancer is the leading cause of significant illness and death connected to cancer worldwide. Tuberculosis (TB) is a prevalent medical condition induced by the Mycobacterium bacteria. It mostly affects the lungs but may also have an influence on other areas of the body. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) causes a risk of respiratory complications between lung cancer and tuberculosis. SARS-CoV-2 impacts the lower respiratory system and causes severe pneumonia, which can significantly increase the mortality risk in individuals with lung cancer. We conducted transcriptome analysis to determine molecular biomarkers and common pathways in lung cancer, TB, and COVID-19, which provide understanding into the association of SARS-CoV-2 to lung cancer and tuberculosis. Based on the compatible RNA-seq data, our research employed GREIN and NCBIs Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to perform differential gene expression analysis. Our study exploited three RNA-seq datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO)--GSE171110, GSE89403, and GSE81089--to identify distinct relationships between differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in SARS-CoV-2, tuberculosis, and lung cancer. We identified 30 common genes among SARS-CoV-2, tuberculosis, and lung cancer (25 upregulated genes and 5 downregulated genes). We analyzed the following five databases: WikiPathway, KEGG, Bio Carta, Elsevier Pathway and Reactome. Using Cytohubbas MCC and Degree methods, We determined the top 15 hub genes resulting from the PPI interaction. These hub genes can serve as potential biomarkers, leading to novel treatment strategies for disorders under investigation. Transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) were identified as the molecules that control the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of interest, either during transcription or after transcription. We identified 35 prospective therapeutic compounds that form significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in SARS-CoV-2, lung cancer, and tuberculosis, which could potentially serve as medications. We hypothesized that the potential medications that emerged from this investigation may have therapeutic benefits.