AUTHOR=Xiao Xuewen , Liu Xixi , Jiao Bin 

TITLE=Epigenetics: Recent Advances and Its Role in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2020.538301

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2020.538301

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> This review summarizes recent findings on the epigenetics of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and provides therapeutic strategies for AD.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> We searched the following keywords: “genetics,” “epigenetics,” “Alzheimer's disease,” “DNA methylation,” “DNA hydroxymethylation,” “histone modifications,” “non-coding RNAs,” and “therapeutic strategies” in PubMed.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> In this review, we summarizes recent studies of epigenetics in AD, including DNA methylation/hydroxymethylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. There are no consistent results of global DNA methylation/hydroxymethylation in AD. Epigenetic genome-wide association studies show that many differentially methylated sites exist in AD. Several studies investigate the role of histone modifications in AD; for example, histone acetylation decreases, whereas H3 phosphorylation increases significantly in AD. In addition, non-coding RNAs, such as <italic>microRNA-16</italic> and BACE1-antisense transcript (<italic>BACE1-AS</italic>), are associated with the pathology of AD. These epigenetic changes provide us with novel insights into the pathogenesis of AD and may be potential therapeutic strategies for AD.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Epigenetics is associated with the pathogenesis of AD, including DNA methylation/hydroxymethylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, which provide potential therapeutic strategies for AD.</p>