MicroRNA Responses Associated with Vector-Borne Diseases in Humans and Arthropod Vectors: A Systematic Review

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) represent a significant public health challenge. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective disease management and control, with host-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) emerging as promising disease biomarkers. This systematic review surveys research conducted on miRNA responses in disease vectors and human hosts of VBDs. A systematic search of four databases and manual searching identified 93 qualifying articles. Numerous VBDs were described, with the most common focus on dengue (21%; n = 15) and Chagas disease (11%; n = 8). Twenty-eight in vivo human studies have characterised miRNAs linked to VBDs, including African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, leishmaniasis, malaria, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, and Zika virus disease. Some overlaps of miRNA responses to infection were observed for Chagas disease (miR-208a), dengue (miR-146-5p), and schistosomiasis (sma-miR-bantam), while the majority exhibited minimal overlap. Studies addressing miRNA profiling of arthropod vectors predominantly emphasise ticks, with many efforts focusing on the miRNA profiles of tick saliva, salivary glands, nymphal ticks, and adults due to their pivotal role in pathogen transmission. This review reports a paucity of studies investigating miRNA biomarkers for VBD diagnosis and prognosis in humans and nominates the development of standardised protocols and validation across study cohorts as future directions.