The role of non-coding RNAs in Alzheimer’s disease

摘要: Micro-RNAs are small, non-coding molecules no bigger than a couple dozen nucleotides in length. But don’t let their size fool you. While they may not code for proteins, themselves, these molecules play an important role in many biological processes by regulating the expression of genes. Recently, they have been implicated in neuron development and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Now, a recent study published in the journal, _Molecular Neurodegeneration_, has identi ed a previously unreported association between the amount of a particular microRNA and the accumulation of toxic proteins that characterizes Alzheimer’s disease. Late-onset Alzheimer’s is characterized by structural changes in the brain and a decline in cognitive abilities, such as memory loss, that worsens with age. Despite the high prevalence of this disease and research efforts, its precise causes are still being worked out …