Metals and neuroscience.
Data are now rapidly accumulating to show that metallochemical reactions might be the common denominator underlying Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, prion diseases, cataracts, mitochondrial disorders and Parkinson's disease. In these disorders, an abnormal reaction between a protein and a redox-active metal ion (copper or iron) promotes the formation of reactive oxygen species or radicalization. It is especially intriguing how the powerful catalytic redox activity of antioxidant Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase can convert into a pro-oxidant activity, a theme echoed in the recent proposal that Abeta and PrP, the proteins respectively involved in Alzheimer's disease and prion diseases, possess similar redox activities.
Bush
A I
AI
Laboratory for Oxidation Biology, Genetics and Aging Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital East, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA. bush@helix.mgh.harvard.edu
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002386:Cataract / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*; D017237:Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathies / Q000378:metabolism; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
D008670:Metals; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase