Metal Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

It has been recently established that oxidative stress plays a key role in neurodegeneration. Consequently, researchers have focused their attention on transition metals, as they are known to participate in biochemical reactions that produce free radicals. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), in particular, in vitro and animal studies have uncovered the role of iron and copper in the disease's pathogenesis, recently confirmed in clinical studies. However, the link between AD and metals has been mostly investigated with a focus on local accumulations in brain areas critical for AD. More recently, a wider view has emerged proposing a relationship between AD and systemic changes of metal metabolism, upon genetic variability. In this chapter, we describe the major functions of iron and copper in the body and summarize the reasons why we should closely monitor their dyshomeostases in AD.