Role of Epigenetics in Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation: Implications for Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Gary L. Dunbar¹  Bhairavi Srinageshwar¹  Panchanan Maiti¹  Julien Rossignol¹ 

[1] Field Neurosciences Institute laboratory for Restorative Neurology at Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859, USA;

关键词: epigenetics;    histone modifications;    stem cells;    neurodegenerative diseases;    Huntington’s disease;    Alzheimer’s disease;    mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs);    neural stem cells (NSCs);    induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs);   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms17020199

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The main objectives of this review are to survey the current literature on the role of epigenetics in determining the fate of stem cells and to assess how this information can be used to enhance the treatment strategies for some neurodegenerative disorders, like Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Some of these epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation and histone modifications, which have a direct impact on the way that genes are expressed in stem cells and how they drive these cells into a mature lineage. Understanding how the stem cells are behaving and giving rise to mature cells can be used to inform researchers on effective ways to design stem cell-based treatments. In this review article, the way in which the basic understanding of how manipulating this process can be utilized to treat certain neurological diseases will be presented. Different genetic factors and their epigenetic changes during reprogramming of stem cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have significant potential for enhancing the efficacy of cell replacement therapies.

【 授权许可】

Unknown