The role of Alu-derived RNAs in Alzheimer ’s and other neurodegenerative conditions

Non-coding RNAs have emerged as essential contributors to neuroinflammation. The Alu element is the most abundant potential source of non-coding RNA in the human genome represented by over 1.1 million copies totaling ∼10% of the genome's mass. Accumulation of “Alu RNA” was observed in the brains of individuals with dementia and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease - a degenerative brain disorder. “Alu RNAs” activate inflammatory pathways and apoptosis in the non-neural cells. In particular, the “Alu RNA” cyto toxicity is suggested as a mechanism in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a compartment damaged in the process of age-related macular degeneration.

Source: Medical Hypotheses - March 22, 2018 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Oksana Polesskaya, Evgeniya Kananykhina, Astrid Engel, Olga Nazarenko, Irina Kulemzina, Ancha Baranova, Yegor Vassetsky, Max Myakishev-Rempel Source Type: research