Neurodegeneration, Heterochromatin, and Double-Stranded RNA
Changes in chromatin and epigenetic modifications have been associated with aging and aging-associated neurodegenerative diseases, although the causal relationship between these changes and disease-related pathology has been unclear. Recent studies have now made direct connections between neurodegen...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2019-02-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Experimental Neuroscience |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/1179069519830697 |
| Summary: | Changes in chromatin and epigenetic modifications have been associated with aging and aging-associated neurodegenerative diseases, although the causal relationship between these changes and disease-related pathology has been unclear. Recent studies have now made direct connections between neurodegeneration-associated proteins and derepression of repetitive element transcription due to changes in heterochromatin. We suggest that this derepression leads to an increased accumulation of intracellular double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), with an attendant induction of innate immune responses that contribute to the neuroinflammation found in essentially all age-associated neurodegenerative diseases. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1179-0695 |