Ironjustic
Mon, Mar-10-08, 17:16
"Accumulation of redox-active iron may play a role in
neurodegenerative disease"
Increased Level Of Magnetic Iron Oxides Found In Alzheimer's
Disease Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia Also Included
In: Neurology / Neuroscience; Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 10 Mar 2008 - 0:00 PDT
A team of scientists, led by Professor Jon Dobson, of Keele
University in Staffordshire, UK, have found, for the first
time, raised levels of magnetic iron oxides in the part of the
brain affected by Alzheimer's Disease (AD).
Their research has also shown that this association was
particularly strong in females compared to males. The group
speculates that this may be a result of gender differences in
the way the body handles and stores iron.
Though the results are based on a small number of samples,
they give an indication that iron accumulation associated with
Alzheimer's appears to involve the formation of strongly
magnetic iron compounds. As these compounds have a strong
effect on MRI signal intensity, with further study, it may be
possible to use this as a biomarker for the development of an
MRI-based Alzheimer's diagnostic technique.
The research team also included Quentin Pankhurst, London
Centre for Nanotechnology and Department of Physics &
Astronomy, University College, London; Dimitri Hautot,
Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele
University, and Nadeem Khan, Department of Neuropathology,
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London.
The study looked at brain tissue from 11 Alzheimer's Disease
and 11 age-matched control subjects. It showed, for the first
time, that the total concentration of biogenic magnetite is
generally higher in the Alzheimer brain (in some cases as much
as 15 times greater than controls) and that there are
gender-based differences, with Alzheimer's Disease with female
subjects having significantly higher concentrations than all
other groups.
Professor Dobson said: "Iron accumulation and dysregulation of
iron transport and storage has been found to be associated
with many other neurodegenerative conditions, such as
Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease (HD), multiple
sclerosis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In recent years,
a hereditary neurodegenerative disease, neuroferritinopathy,
has been linked to a mutation in the gene encoding for the
ferritn light polypeptide. This direct link between
neurodegeneration in the basal ganglia and ferritin, the
body's primary iron storage protein, results in the
accumulation of iron in the brain and symptoms similar to HD.
"There is still little known about the chemical form of iron
associated with these diseases, its role in neurodegeneration
(if any) and its origin. Investigations of brain iron based on
histochemical staining techniques have generally ignored its
chemical state."
This study shows a clear correlation in the concentration and
the size of the biogenic magnetite in both the Alzheimer
disease and control groups. It is also notable that the
largest magnetite concentrations and smallest particles are
all from Alzheimer disease subjects, and that the data from
the control subjects follow the same trend. This implies that
the genesis of the biogenic magnetite may be the same in all
cases, but that in Alzheimer Disease it may be more indicative
of an accelerated process.
Professor Dobson added: "We speculate that magnetite formation
within the ferritin core may occur generally in the brain,
perhaps associated with aging, and that the process may become
abnormal and uncontrolled in the Alzheimer brain. At this
stage, this should be considered a working hypothesis and
needs to be examined in larger studies. It appears, however,
that elevated levels of magnetic iron oxides, which include
reactive Fe2+, are present in AD tissue, a finding that lends
weight to the suggestion that redox-active iron may play a
role in neurodegenerative disease."
This work was supported by the UK Medical Research Council and
National Institutes of Health.
A paper on the study, Increased Levels of Magnetic Compunds in
Alzheimer's Disease, is scheduled for publication in the
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (Volume 13:1).
Who loves ya. Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian! http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com
Man Is A Herbivore! http://tinyurl.com/a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk
neurodegenerative disease"
Increased Level Of Magnetic Iron Oxides Found In Alzheimer's
Disease Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia Also Included
In: Neurology / Neuroscience; Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 10 Mar 2008 - 0:00 PDT
A team of scientists, led by Professor Jon Dobson, of Keele
University in Staffordshire, UK, have found, for the first
time, raised levels of magnetic iron oxides in the part of the
brain affected by Alzheimer's Disease (AD).
Their research has also shown that this association was
particularly strong in females compared to males. The group
speculates that this may be a result of gender differences in
the way the body handles and stores iron.
Though the results are based on a small number of samples,
they give an indication that iron accumulation associated with
Alzheimer's appears to involve the formation of strongly
magnetic iron compounds. As these compounds have a strong
effect on MRI signal intensity, with further study, it may be
possible to use this as a biomarker for the development of an
MRI-based Alzheimer's diagnostic technique.
The research team also included Quentin Pankhurst, London
Centre for Nanotechnology and Department of Physics &
Astronomy, University College, London; Dimitri Hautot,
Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele
University, and Nadeem Khan, Department of Neuropathology,
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London.
The study looked at brain tissue from 11 Alzheimer's Disease
and 11 age-matched control subjects. It showed, for the first
time, that the total concentration of biogenic magnetite is
generally higher in the Alzheimer brain (in some cases as much
as 15 times greater than controls) and that there are
gender-based differences, with Alzheimer's Disease with female
subjects having significantly higher concentrations than all
other groups.
Professor Dobson said: "Iron accumulation and dysregulation of
iron transport and storage has been found to be associated
with many other neurodegenerative conditions, such as
Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease (HD), multiple
sclerosis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In recent years,
a hereditary neurodegenerative disease, neuroferritinopathy,
has been linked to a mutation in the gene encoding for the
ferritn light polypeptide. This direct link between
neurodegeneration in the basal ganglia and ferritin, the
body's primary iron storage protein, results in the
accumulation of iron in the brain and symptoms similar to HD.
"There is still little known about the chemical form of iron
associated with these diseases, its role in neurodegeneration
(if any) and its origin. Investigations of brain iron based on
histochemical staining techniques have generally ignored its
chemical state."
This study shows a clear correlation in the concentration and
the size of the biogenic magnetite in both the Alzheimer
disease and control groups. It is also notable that the
largest magnetite concentrations and smallest particles are
all from Alzheimer disease subjects, and that the data from
the control subjects follow the same trend. This implies that
the genesis of the biogenic magnetite may be the same in all
cases, but that in Alzheimer Disease it may be more indicative
of an accelerated process.
Professor Dobson added: "We speculate that magnetite formation
within the ferritin core may occur generally in the brain,
perhaps associated with aging, and that the process may become
abnormal and uncontrolled in the Alzheimer brain. At this
stage, this should be considered a working hypothesis and
needs to be examined in larger studies. It appears, however,
that elevated levels of magnetic iron oxides, which include
reactive Fe2+, are present in AD tissue, a finding that lends
weight to the suggestion that redox-active iron may play a
role in neurodegenerative disease."
This work was supported by the UK Medical Research Council and
National Institutes of Health.
A paper on the study, Increased Levels of Magnetic Compunds in
Alzheimer's Disease, is scheduled for publication in the
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (Volume 13:1).
Who loves ya. Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian! http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com
Man Is A Herbivore! http://tinyurl.com/a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk