title: Metallothioneins and the central nervous system: from a deregulation in neurodegenerative diseases to the development of new therapeutic approaches.
abstract: Metallothioneins (MT) are a family of proteins actively involved in metal detoxification and storage as well as in prevention of free-radical damage. Changes in the levels of MT have been described in a number of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, prion protein disease, Binswanger type of subcortical vascular dementia, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This suggests that MT functions might be more complex and vast than what was initially thought. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the potential involvement of MT in the mentioned neurodegenerative diseases while also discussing the emerging evidence proposing MT modulation as a feasible therapeutic approach. Enhancing repair mechanisms after neurological damage and/or protection against oxidative stress through a proper modulation of this family of protein might indeed represent an important avenue to cope neurodegeneration.
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Neurological, Neuropsychological, Morphological and Motor Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bolognin
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cozzi
authors.affiliation: Phatology Division, General Hospital, Dolo-Venezia, Italy.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zambenedetti
authors.affiliation: CNR-Institute for Biomedical Technologies, "Metalloproteins" Unit of Padova, Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zatta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D008668:Metallothionein
keywords: Brain development; metal ions; metallothioneins; neurodegenerative diseases