Wall Street Journal
by Shirley Wang
31 Jan 12
Research into how iron, copper, zinc and other metals work in the brain may help unlock some of the secrets of degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
One of the many theories explaining Alzheimer's disease is that some of the harm is caused by toxic metals accumulating in brain. Now a new study lends more credibility to the toxic metal theory. Shirley Wang has details on Lunch Break.
Iron and copper appear to accumulate beyond normal levels in the brains of people with these diseases, and a new, Australian study published Sunday shows reducing excess iron in the brain can alleviate Alzheimer's-like symptoms—at least in mice.
A genetic mutation related to regulating iron is linked to ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. Zinc, on the other hand, appears to impair memory if its levels get too low or if it gets into a brain region where it doesn't belong, as it can with traumatic brain injury.
Research into the complicated, invisible roles these metals play in brain diseases has lagged behind study of the more-visible proteins that are damaged or clump together in the brains of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's sufferers.
….
"The field is coming around to the idea of the cause of Alzheimer's being multifactorial," and disturbed metal regulation could be one of those factors….
Tiny metal ions—charged particles of the elements—serve several essential functions in the body, including facilitating chemical reactions to generate energy and preserving the structure of proteins. Strict checks and balances in a healthy body keep metal levels within a tight range.
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Iron, for instance, is a "double-edged sword" because it interacts with oxygen to help the body generate energy, but also can produce free radicals, highly reactive molecules that can cause cell damage….
….a handful of other biotechnology companies have also been testing experimental metal-lowering drugs for treatment of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. But developing such drugs is tricky because it is hard to target metals in specific parts of the brain. Simply lowering or increasing the amount overall in the body may not be beneficial, researchers say.
Metals may play a vital role in other brain conditions.
Stephen Lippard, a chemistry professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and colleagues from Duke University and the University of Toronto, found zinc helps neurons communicate in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in learning and memory….
[So frustrating the emphasis on surgical missile strike medicine. I wish there was more interest in thinking holistically about what might lower metals or increase the proteins that lower metals. For example, what lifestyle changes might help? The “selective” targeted medication thing is not going to work.]
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...072611524.html
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