DNA Methylation changes in the brain white matter of multiple sclerosis patients

The literature implies that Multiple Sclerosis (MS) holds an epigenetic component that mediates the effects of its typical environmental risk factors on disease progression. Some of the major epigenetic modifications on DNA are the addition of methyl or a hydroxymethyl group to the C5 cytosine position, leading to 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) synthesis. Interestingly, abnormal epigenetic modification patterns, such as the global DNA methylation loss in MS brain white matter, link to several neurodegenerative disorders. Abnormal DNA methylation/hydroxymethylation enzymes expression is also extensively documented in Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. This doctoral research project traces the DNA methylation instability in MS white matter, back to the altered expression of the DNA methylation/hydroxymethylation enzymes.