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REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1401962

The epigenetic modification of DNA methylation in neurological diseases

Provisionally accepted
Linke Li Linke Li 1Rui Chen Rui Chen 1Zhang Hui Zhang Hui 1Jinsheng Li Jinsheng Li 2Hao Huang Hao Huang 2*Jie Weng Jie Weng 2*Huan Tan Huan Tan 2*Tailin Guo Tailin Guo 2*Mengyuan Wang Mengyuan Wang 3,4*Jiang Xie Jiang Xie 5,6*
  • 1 College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 2 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
  • 3 The Center of Obesity and Metabolic Diseases, Department of General Surgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu &The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, No. 19 Yangshi Road,, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 4 Department of Stomatology, Chengdu Third People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 5 Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 6 Chengdu Third People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Methylation, a key epigenetic modification, is essential for regulating gene expression and protein function without altering the DNA sequence, contributing to various biological processes, including gene transcription, embryonic development, and cellular functions. Methylation encompasses DNA methylation, RNA methylation and histone modification. Recent research indicates that DNA methylation is vital for establishing and maintaining normal brain functions by modulating the high-order structure of DNA. Alterations in the patterns of DNA methylation can exert significant impacts on both gene expression and cellular function, playing a role in the development of numerous diseases, such as neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer. Our current understanding of the etiology of neurological diseases emphasizes a multifaceted process that includes neurodegenerative, neuroinflammatory, and neurovascular events. Epigenetic modifications, especially DNA methylation, are fundamental in the control of gene expression and are critical in the onset and progression of neurological disorders. Furthermore, we comprehensively overview the role and mechanism of DNA methylation in in various biological processes and gene regulation in neurological diseases. Understanding the mechanisms and dynamics of DNA methylation in neural development can provide valuable insights into human biology and potentially lead to novel therapies for various neurological diseases.

    Keywords: Epigenetic regulation, DNA Methylation, Neurological Diseases, ICF syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Rett Syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease

    Received: 16 Mar 2024; Accepted: 03 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Li, Chen, Hui, Li, Huang, Weng, Tan, Guo, Wang and Xie. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Hao Huang, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
    Jie Weng, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
    Huan Tan, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
    Tailin Guo, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
    Mengyuan Wang, The Center of Obesity and Metabolic Diseases, Department of General Surgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu &The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, No. 19 Yangshi Road,, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
    Jiang Xie, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.