▁conser ved ▁micro R NA , ▁mi R - 3 4 , ▁plays ▁a ▁ne uro prote ct ive ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁bra ins ▁of ▁ag ing ▁D ros oph ila . ▁The ▁loss ▁of ▁mi R - 3 4 ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁profile ▁consistent ▁with ▁acceler ated ▁ag ing , ▁late - ons et ▁brain ▁ne uro de gener ation , ▁and ▁reduced ▁surv ival , ▁whereas ▁up reg ulation ▁of ▁mi R - 3 4 ▁en hanced ▁surv ival ▁and ▁mit ig ated ▁ne uro de gener ation . ▁ ▁An ▁ep igen etic ▁basis ▁for ▁Al z heimer ' s ▁disease ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Bon ini , ▁with ▁collabor ators ▁Sh elle y ▁Ber ger , ▁Brad ▁Johnson , ▁and ▁others , ▁completed ▁a ▁study ▁investig ating ▁the ▁ep igen etic ▁landscape ▁of ▁t issue ▁samples ▁don ated ▁by ▁individuals ▁who ▁did ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁Al z heimer ' s ▁disease . ▁The ▁find ings ▁established ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁an ▁ep igen etic ▁link ▁between ▁ag ing ▁and ▁Al z heimer ' s ▁disease , ▁suggesting ▁a ▁new ▁model ▁for ▁the ▁disease ▁and ▁a ▁parad ig m ▁shift ▁from ▁the ▁previously ▁established ▁view ▁of ▁Al z heimer ' s ▁disease ▁as ▁an ▁' ad vanced ▁state ▁of ▁normal ▁ag ing '. ▁Based ▁on ▁the ▁study ▁find ings , ▁Bon ini ▁and ▁collabor ators ▁established ▁that ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁normal ▁ag ing ▁changes ▁that ▁occur ▁in ▁the ▁ep igen ome ▁protect ▁against ▁Al z heimer '