Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (29): 7663-7672.doi: 10.12307/2026.262

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Role of non-coding RNAs in Alzheimer’s disease and treatment with traditional Chinese medicine

Wang Shaona1, Li Ruiyang1, An Lanhua2, Zhang Jinsheng1, 2   

  1. 1Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China; 2The Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China
  • Received:2025-10-15 Revised:2025-12-06 Online:2026-10-18 Published:2026-03-06
  • Contact: Zhang Jinsheng, PhD, Chief physician, Professor, Doctoral supervisor, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China; The Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China
  • About author:Wang Shaona, MD candidate, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan Province, China
  • Supported by:
    Zhongyuan Science and Technology Innovation Leading Talent Program, No. 214200510022 (to ZJS); Special Project for Scientific Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine of Henan Province, No. 2022ZY1110 (to ZJS); Science and Technology Research and Development Project of Henan Province, No. 232102311213 (to ALH).

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The etiology of Alzheimer’s disease is diverse and its pathogenesis remains complex and incompletely understood. In recent years, non-coding RNAs have been demonstrated to play a key role in the regulation of amyloid-β abnormal deposition, tau hyperphosphorylation, neuroinflammation activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and synaptic damage, offering new perspectives for elucidating mechanisms underlying diseases and development of drugs. Additionally, by regulating non-coding RNA networks, traditional Chinese medicine exhibits the advantages of multi-pathway intervention.
OBJECTIVE: To review recent studies on the role of regulatory non-coding RNAs and transfer RNAs in the pathological mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease, summarize the current status of traditional Chinese medicine monomers, compound formulas, and acupuncture in modulating non-coding RNAs to exert anti-Alzheimer’s effects, thereby providing theoretical foundations and directional references for optimizing future clinical treatment strategies and novel drug development for Alzheimer’s disease.
METHODS: Using the Chinese keywords “non-coding RNA, microRNA, long non-coding RNA, circular RNA, transfer RNA, Alzheimer’s disease, traditional Chinese medicine” and the English keywords “ncRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, circRNA, tRNA, Alzheimer’s disease, traditional Chinese medicine,” we retrieved relevant literature published from January 2015 to July 2025 in the CNKI and PubMed databases. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 101 articles were ultimately included for a comprehensive review and analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease stem from a multifactorial, interconnected pathological network. Key mechanisms include β-amyloid deposition, tau hyperphosphorylation, neuroinflammation activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, synaptic structural and functional abnormalities, and calcium homeostasis imbalance. These factors may also intertwine and synergistically promote disease progression. (2) Various regulatory non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, circular RNAs, and housekeeping non-coding RNAs can modulate these pathological processes at various levels, thereby influencing disease progression. (3) Numerous active components from traditional Chinese medicine monomers (e.g., berberine, catalpol, total saponins of Panax notoginseng, ginsenoside Rg1, β-asarone, triptolide, tanshinone IIA), traditional Chinese medicine formulas (e.g., An Shen Ding Zhi Fang, Tiaoxin Fang, Bushen Tiansui Fang), acupuncture and moxibustion therapies can intervene multiple pathological stages of Alzheimer’s disease by upregulating or downregulating the expression of specific non-coding RNAs, which exerts neuroprotective effects, thereby delaying the onset and progression of the disease.


Key words: Alzheimer’s disease, microRNA, long non-coding RNA, circular RNA, transfer RNA, traditional Chinese medicine, active components, biomarkers

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