Retracted Article: Knockdown of NEAT1 ameliorated MPP+-induced neuronal damage by sponging miR-221 in SH-SY5Y cells

LncRNAs as putative biomarkers and therapeutic targets for Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is known as one of the most common degenerative disorders related to the damage of the central nervous system (CNS). This brain disorder is also characterized by the formation of Lewy bodies in the cytoplasm of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), which consequently leads to motor and non-motor symptoms. With regard to the growing trend in the number of cases with PD and its effects on individuals, families, and communities, immediate treatments together with diagnostic methods are required. In this respect, long non-coding ribonucleic acids (lncRNAs) represent a large class of ncRNAs with more than 200 nucleotides in length, playing key roles in some important processes including gene expression, cell differentiation, genomic imprinting, apoptosis, and cell cycle. They are highly expressed in the CNS and previous studies have further reported that the expression profile of lncRNAs is disrupted in human diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders. Since the levels of some lncRNAs change over time in the brains of patients with PD, a number of previous studies have examined their potentials as biomarkers for this brain disorder. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to review the advances in the related literature on lncRNAs as diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic biomarkers for PD.

NEAT1 on the Field of Parkinson's Disease: Offense, Defense, or a Player on the Bench?

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. Considering the devastating symptoms, high prevalence, and lack of definitive diagnostic test, there is an urgent need to identify possible biomarkers and new therapeutic targets. Genes identified and/or proposed to be linked to PD encode proteins that fulfill diverse roles in cellular functions. There is a growing interest in identifying common traits which lead to the disease. Long non-coding RNAs have recently emerged as possible regulatory hubs of complex molecular changes affecting PD development. Among them, NEAT1 has attracted particular interest. It is a major component and the initiator of nuclear paraspeckles, thus regulating transcription and modifying protein functions. This review summarizes data available on the role of NEAT1 in PD. NEAT1 upregulation in PD has repeatedly been reported, however, whether this is part of a protective or a damaging mechanism is still a topic of debate. It has been proposed that NEAT1 propagates PD via its interaction with PINK1 and several micro RNAs and by modulating SNCA expression. On the other hand, findings of NEAT1 acting as a bona fide LRRK2 inhibitor argue for its protective role. These contradictory results could be due to the different disease models implemented. This calls attention to the difficulties posed by the complex patho-mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders and the limitations of disease models. However, the potential of NEAT1 as a biomarker and as a therapeutic target for PD highly warrants further research to elucidate its exact role in this neurodegenerative disorder.

Increased level of NEAT1 long non-coding RNA is detectable in peripheral blood cells of patients with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder that poses serious burden to individuals and society as well. Although a number of PD associated genetic factors have been identified, the molecular mechanism of the disease so far has not been completely elucidated. Involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the pathology of neurodegenerative disorders is attracting increased interest because of the diverse mechanisms lncRNAs affect gene expression and cellular homeostasis at different levels. We aimed to test the feasibility of detecting alterations in lncRNA levels in easily accessible samples of PD patients by routine laboratory technique. By narrowing the number of selected lncRNAs implicated in neurodegeneration and increasing the number of PD samples included, we found one out of 41 lncRNAs readily detectable in increased level in peripheral blood of PD patients. We detected NEAT1 to be significantly up-regulated in PD patients in multiple comparisons. NEAT1 is the core element of nuclear paraspeckles and it plays role in regulation of transcription, mRNA and miRNA levels, mitochondrial and cellular homeostasis. Our finding is in accord with recent data demonstrating changes in the level of NEAT1 in neurons of PD patients and in several models of the disease. However, to our knowledge this is the first study to report NEAT1 up-regulation in blood of PD patients. Identification of altered expression of this lncRNA in the periphery might help to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying PD, and can contribute to the identification of new therapeutic targets and disease markers.