Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2026, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (1): 265-280.doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-00696

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Potential mechanisms of non-coding RNA regulation in Alzheimer’s disease

Yue Sun1, #, Xinping Pang2, #, Xudong Huang3 , Dinglu Liu1 , Jingyue Huang1 , Pengtao Zheng1 , Yanyu Wei4, *, Chaoyang Pang1, *   

  1. 1 College of Computer Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China;  2 School of Science, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China;  3 Neurochemistry Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA;  4 National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Vacuum Electronics, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • Online:2026-01-15 Published:2025-04-21
  • Contact: Yanyu Wei, PhD, yywei@uestc.edu.cn; Chaoyang Pang, PhD, cypang@sicnu.edu.cn.

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Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease, a progressively degenerative neurological disorder, is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. While its precise etiology remains unclear, researchers have identified diverse pathological characteristics and molecular pathways associated with its progression. Advances in scientific research have increasingly highlighted the crucial role of non-coding RNAs in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. These non-coding RNAs regulate several biological processes critical to the advancement of the disease, offering promising potential as therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers. Therefore, this review aims to investigate the underlying mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease onset, with a particular focus on microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs associated with the disease. The review elucidates the potential pathogenic processes of Alzheimer’s disease and provides a detailed description of the synthesis mechanisms of the three aforementioned non-coding RNAs. It comprehensively summarizes the various non-coding RNAs that have been identified to play key regulatory roles in Alzheimer’s disease, as well as how these noncoding RNAs influence the disease’s progression by regulating gene expression and protein functions. For example, miR-9 targets the UBE4B gene, promoting autophagy-mediated degradation of Tau protein, thereby reducing Tau accumulation and delaying Alzheimer’s disease progression. Conversely, the long non-coding RNA BACE1-AS stabilizes BACE1 mRNA, promoting the generation of amyloid-β and accelerating Alzheimer’s disease development. Additionally, circular RNAs play significant roles in regulating neuroinflammatory responses. By integrating insights from these regulatory mechanisms, there is potential to discover new therapeutic targets and potential biomarkers for early detection and management of Alzheimer’s disease. This review aims to enhance the understanding of the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and non-coding RNAs, potentially paving the way for early detection and novel treatment strategies.

Key words: Alzheimer’s disease, biomarkers, circular RNA, long non-coding RNA, microRNA, ncRNA regulation, neurodegeneration, non-coding RNA, pathogenesis, therapeutic targets