CASP7 and viral infectious disease: Virus-encoded miRNAs also protect cells from DNA damage and apoptosis caused by viral infection, e.g., human herpesvirus-8 miR-K9 reduced the expression of cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-7 [27] and HCMV-encoded miR-UL70-3p inhibited apoptosis by suppressing expression of the pro-apoptotic gene MOAP1 [28].