Title:An Updated Review of Epigenetic-Related Mechanisms and their Contribution
to Multiple Sclerosis Disease
Volume: 22
Issue: 3
Author(s): Maedeh Eslahi, Negin Nematbakhsh, Narges Dastmalchi, Shahram Teimourian and Reza Safaralizadeh*
Affiliation:
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Keywords:
Epigenetic mechanisms, multiple sclerosis, DNA methylation, histone modification, microRNAs, environmental risk factors.
Abstract: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a multifactorial, neurodegenerative, and inflammatory demyelination
disease with incomplete remyelination in the CNS. It would be more informative to reveal
the underlying molecular mechanisms of MS. Molecular mechanisms involving epigenetic
changes play a pivotal role in this disease. Epigenetic changes impact gene expression without altering
the underlying DNA sequence. The main epigenetic modifications that play a key role in the
regulation of gene expression principally include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microRNA-
associated post-transcriptional gene silencing. In this review, we summarize the dynamics
of epigenetic changes and their relation to environmental risk factors in MS pathogenesis. Studies
suggest that epigenetic changes have a role in the development of MS and environmental risk factors,
such as vitamin D, smoking, and Epstein-Barr virus infection seem to influence the development
and susceptibility to MS. Investigating epigenetic and environmental factors can provide new
opportunities for the molecular basis of the diseases, which shows complicated pathogenesis. Epigenetic
research has the potential to complete our understanding of MS initiation and progression. Increased
understanding of MS molecular pathways leads to new insights into potential MS therapies.
However, there is a need for in vivo evaluation of the role of epigenetic factors in MS therapy.
It would be more valuable to indicate the role of various epigenetic factors in MS.
