The accumulation of DNA damage and defects in RNA metabolism have been allocated a key role in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, as far as the cellular genome and transcriptome are vulnerable to spontaneous decay and damage by multiple intracellular or environmental agents. Neuroinflammation is a pathological hallmark of a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Certain inherent properties of neurons may make them particularly vulnerable to cell death in neurodegenerative diseases, including, e.g., their post-mitotic nature resulting in gradual accumulation of age-associated damage and their high energy requirements. All other hallmarks of neurodegeneration individually and collectively contribute to neuronal cell loss.