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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Photodynamic Therapy Modulates pri-miRNA Expression in C. albicans-Infected HEK-293 Cells: An In Vitro Study

by
Cinzia Casu
1,†,
Andrea Butera
2,*,†,
Alessandra Scano
1,
Andrea Scribante
2,3,
Valentino Natoli
4,*,
Mara Pinna
1,
Sara Fais
1 and
Germano Orrù
1,5
1
Oral Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Surgical Science, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
2
Unit of Dental Hygiene, Section of Dentistry, Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
3
Unit of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, Section of Dentistry, Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
4
Department of Dentistry, School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, European University of Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain
5
Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Cagliari, AOU Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2025, 47(11), 949; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47110949
Submission received: 21 August 2025 / Revised: 2 November 2025 / Accepted: 4 November 2025 / Published: 14 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Oral infections caused by Candida spp. represent a major health concern due to the increasing resistance of these fungi to conventional antifungal agents. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment based on the use of light at a specific wavelength that activates a photosensitizer (PS) in the presence of oxygen. The activated PS selectively binds to infected cells and induces apoptosis through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Previous biomolecular studies on Candida albicans have demonstrated that its infection triggers characteristic molecular signals, such as miRNA-146a and miRNA-155, which serve as inflammatory markers. This in vitro study aimed to evaluate the impact of PDT on the expression of their primary transcripts (pri-miRNAs) in a cell culture model of C. albicans infection. Human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells were infected with a multidrug-resistant strain of C. albicans (CA97) and subsequently exposed to curcumin-based PDT activated by blue light (470 nm). The expression of pri-miRNAs 146a and 155 was assessed before and after PDT treatment for each experimental group. The expression levels of pri-miRNAs increased approximately 2- to 3.5-fold following C. albicans infection but returned to baseline values after PDT treatment. The evaluation of pri-miRNAs 146a/155 may serve as a valuable research tool for monitoring early inflammatory responses induced by Candida infection, as well as a sensitive biomarker for assessing the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy in an in vitro cell culture model.
Keywords: pri-miRNAs; Candida spp.; C. albicans; Photodynamic Therapy; C. albicans CA97 pri-miRNAs; Candida spp.; C. albicans; Photodynamic Therapy; C. albicans CA97

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MDPI and ACS Style

Casu, C.; Butera, A.; Scano, A.; Scribante, A.; Natoli, V.; Pinna, M.; Fais, S.; Orrù, G. Photodynamic Therapy Modulates pri-miRNA Expression in C. albicans-Infected HEK-293 Cells: An In Vitro Study. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2025, 47, 949. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47110949

AMA Style

Casu C, Butera A, Scano A, Scribante A, Natoli V, Pinna M, Fais S, Orrù G. Photodynamic Therapy Modulates pri-miRNA Expression in C. albicans-Infected HEK-293 Cells: An In Vitro Study. Current Issues in Molecular Biology. 2025; 47(11):949. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47110949

Chicago/Turabian Style

Casu, Cinzia, Andrea Butera, Alessandra Scano, Andrea Scribante, Valentino Natoli, Mara Pinna, Sara Fais, and Germano Orrù. 2025. "Photodynamic Therapy Modulates pri-miRNA Expression in C. albicans-Infected HEK-293 Cells: An In Vitro Study" Current Issues in Molecular Biology 47, no. 11: 949. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47110949

APA Style

Casu, C., Butera, A., Scano, A., Scribante, A., Natoli, V., Pinna, M., Fais, S., & Orrù, G. (2025). Photodynamic Therapy Modulates pri-miRNA Expression in C. albicans-Infected HEK-293 Cells: An In Vitro Study. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 47(11), 949. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47110949

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