Epigenetic Mechanisms of the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis

摘要

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease leading to demyelination of nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Despite extensive research, the pathogenesis of this disease is not fully understood. A review of most recent experimental studies shows that epigenetic mechanisms regulating gene expression, such as DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and microRNAs, play the crucial role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. Analysis of the published data suggests that multiple sclerosis develops as a result of abnormal regulation of gene expression in the nervous and immune systems.