AN RNA G-QUADRUPLEX STRUCTURE IN PRE-miRNA-1229 AS A THERAPEUTIC TARGET FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND VARIOUS CANCERS

A method of treating Alzheimer's disease, cancer or other disease and mitigating their progression, comprising:

• stabilizing or destabilizing a novel therapeutic target, comprising:
• a pre-miRNA-1229 sequence, comprising:
• a G-quadruplex structure;
• and
• a canonical hairpin structure,
• wherein the G-quadruplex and the canonical hairpin structures co-exist in equilibrium in the guanine-rich region of the pre-miRNA-1229 sequence;
• controlling the production of mature miRNA-1229-3p;
• and
• correspondingly regulating sortilin-related receptor protein.

A method of controlling miRNA dysregulation to reduce effects of Alzheimer's disease, cancer or other disease, comprising:

• targeting a G-quadruplex structure in equilibrium with a canonical hairpin structure in a guanine-rich region of a pre-miRNA-1229 sequence;
• regulating rs2291418 single nucleotide polymorphism located in the pre-miRNA 1229 sequence;
• changing the equilibrium between the G-quadruplex structure and the canonical hairpin structure to favor the G-quadruplex structure or the canonical hairpin structure;
• controlling the production of mature miRNA-1229-3p;
• and
• correspondingly upregulating or downregulating a sortilin-related receptor protein.