Multiple system atrophy: genetic or epigenetic?

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare, late-onset and fatal neurodegenerative disease including multisystem neurodegeneration and the formation of α-synuclein containing oligodendroglial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs), which present the hallmark of the disease. MSA is considered to be a sporadic disease; however certain genetic aspects have been studied during the last years in order to shed light on the largely unknown etiology and pathogenesis of the disease. Epidemiological studies focused on the possible impact of environmental factors on MSA disease development. This article gives an overview on the findings from genetic and epigenetic studies on MSA and discusses the role of genetic or epigenetic factors in disease pathogenesis.