Role of miRNA Alterations in Multiple System Atrophy
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a fatal synucleinopathy characterized by accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates in oligodendroglia, leading to demyelination and neurodegeneration. As part of the work of my lab in deciphering the interaction between α-synuclein misfolded/accumulation with epigenetic regulation, we are investigating the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in MSA as major regulators of the transcriptome, […]
DNA Methylation and Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease
Inflammation is a crucial mechanism underlying dementia and cognitive impairment in the elderly. It is implicated in the neuropathological cascade leading to amyloid plaques and it correlates with onset of AD and cognitive decline. DNA methylation regulates many key inflammatory genes, but the precise role of epigenetic mechanisms on modulating inflammation is yet poorly understood. […]
Circadian Clock Alterations in Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia in the elderly, presents with a complex etiology that hinders the development of effective therapies, thus leaving unmeet the needs of more than 5 million Americans that suffer from this devastating disorder. AD manifests with progressive memory loss and decline in cognitive abilities. Beyond altered proteostasis […]
Blood Methylation Biomarkers for Lewy Body Disorders and Dementia
Accurate diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases is hindered by the inaccessibility of the brain. Currently, it relies on evaluation of clinical features, however, overlapping symptoms across disorders might confound diagnosis thus delaying proper interventions. Moreover, as clinical manifestation is preceded by an asymptomatic prodromal stage during which neuronal degeneration is ongoing, these disorders are often diagnosed […]
DNA Methylation Alterations in Parkinson’s Disease
Regulatory proteins and epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation and histone modifications tightly control gene expression. Increasing evidence supports the idea that DNA methylation is dynamically regulated in post mitotic neurons with crucial functions in memory and synaptic plasticity. Our earliest findings showed aberrant localization of the methylation enzyme DNMT1 in the cytoplasm of neuronal cells, […]