Metal Iron and Alzheimers

As alluded to in previous posts, amyloid protein plaques in the brain are strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

A recent study at the University of Warwick found that several varieties of iron, especially an iron oxide called magnetite, combined with amyloid plaques in the brains of  people diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Plaques from the brains of two deceased patients were used in the study.

The study proposed that the interactions of iron and amyloid protein are responsible for the toxicity that leads to the death and/or the malfunction of brain cells. The understanding of the role of iron is exciting new information.

Dr. Joanna Collingwood, Associate Professor at the University of Warwick's School of Engineering commented: "Iron is an essential element in the brain, so it is critical to understand how its management is affected in Alzheimer's disease."  She further noted that this new finding opens the door to possible new treatments of  AD by the use of iron modifying drugs.

Dr. Collingwood was part of an international team that included researchers from University of Florida and The University of Texas at San Antonio.