1. Environment, epigenetics and neurodegeneration: Focus on nutrition in Alzheimer's disease
- Author
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Marco Lucarelli, Andrea Fuso, Vincenzina Nicolia, Department of Surgery, Università degli Studi di Roma 'La Sapienza' = Sapienza University [Rome], Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Haematology, Università degli Studi di Roma 'La Sapienza' = Sapienza University [Rome]-Institut Pasteur, Fondation Cenci Bolognetti - Istituto Pasteur Italia, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), European Center for Brain Research (CERC)/Santa Lucia Foundation I.R.C.C.S., This paper was supported by funding from the EC 7th Framework Program (FP7/2007–2013) grant no. 278486 'DEVELAGE' and from the Sapienza Università di Roma, Scientific Research Programs 2012 and 2013., European Project: 278486,EC:FP7:HEALTH,FP7-HEALTH-2011-two-stage,DEVELAGE(2012), Università degli Studi di Roma 'La Sapienza' = Sapienza University [Rome] (UNIROMA), Institut Pasteur, Fondation Cenci Bolognetti - Istituto Pasteur Italia, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, and Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Università degli Studi di Roma 'La Sapienza' = Sapienza University [Rome] (UNIROMA)
- Subjects
Adult ,Aging ,Nutritional Status ,Disease ,Biology ,Alzheimer's Disease ,Biochemistry ,Epigenesis, Genetic ,Endocrinology ,Alzheimer Disease ,Mental stress ,Genetics ,medicine ,Humans ,Genetic Predisposition to Disease ,Epigenetics ,Neurodegeneration ,Molecular Biology ,Organism ,DNA methylation ,[SDV.MHEP.GEG]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Geriatry and gerontology ,Age Factors ,food and beverages ,Neurodegenerative Diseases ,Cell Biology ,Epigenome ,medicine.disease ,3. Good health ,B vitamins ,Vitamin B Complex ,Gene-Environment Interaction ,[SDV.NEU]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC] ,Neuroscience ,epigenetics ,neurodegeneration ,Alzheimer's disease - Abstract
International audience; Many different environmental factors (nutrients, pollutants, chemicals, physical activity, lifestyle, physical and mental stress) can modulate epigenetic markers in the developing and adult organism. Epigenetics, in turn, can cause and is associated with several neurodegenerative and aging-dependent human diseases. Alzheimer's disease certainly represents one of the most relevant neurodegenerative disorders due to its incidence and its huge socio-economic impact. Therefore, it is easy to understand why recent literature focuses on the epigenetic modifications associated with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. One of the most intriguing and, at the same time, worrying evidence is that even "mild" environmental factors (such as behavioral or physical stress) as well as the under-threshold exposure to pollutants and chemicals, can be effective. Finally, even mild nutrients disequilibria can result in long-lasting and functional alterations of many epigenetic markers, although they don't have an immediate acute effect. Therefore, we will probably have to re-define the current risk threshold for many factors, molecules and stresses. Among the many different environmental factors affecting the epigenome, nutrition represents one of the most investigated fields; the reasons are probably that each person interacts with nutrients and that, in turn, nutrients can modulate at molecular level the epigenetic biochemical pathways. The role that nutrition can exert in modulating epigenetic modifications in Alzheimer's disease will be discussed with particular emphasis on the role of B vitamins and DNA methylation.
- Published
- 2015