title: Zinc and Alzheimer's Disease: An Update.
abstract: Zinc is an essential metal in human nutrition. A growing number of observations have implicated zinc in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Zinc binds and interacts with both the amyloid-β peptide (the major component of senile plaques) and its larger parent protein known as amyloid precursor protein. Nevertheless, the pathophysiological position of zinc in AD remains unclear. Recently, much research has been published that supports the involvement of zinc in AD pathophysiology. Consistent reports show cerebral zinc to be elevated in selected regions of AD brain, and is highly concentrated within senile plaques. Quantitative assessment of zinc in plaques estimates the zinc concentration to be enriched to the near millimolar concentration range. Furthermore, zinc is also detected in neurons that are positively identified to contain neurofibrillary tangles. This paper reviews current available data that indicate a role for zinc in AD pathology.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School , and Laboratory of Oxidation Biology , Massachusetts General Hospital , Charlestown , MA 02129 , USA.|b Genetics and Aging Unit , Massachusetts General Hospital , Charlestown , MA 02129 , USA.|c Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science , University of Auckland School of Medicine , Private Bag 92019, Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Cuajungco
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science , University of Auckland School of Medicine , Private Bag 92019, Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Lees
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science , University of Auckland School of Medicine , Private Bag 92019, Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Kydd
authors.affiliation: b Genetics and Aging Unit , Massachusetts General Hospital , Charlestown , MA 02129 , USA.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Tanzi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School , and Laboratory of Oxidation Biology , Massachusetts General Hospital , Charlestown , MA 02129 , USA.|b Genetics and Aging Unit , Massachusetts General Hospital , Charlestown , MA 02129 , USA.
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Bush
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid-β; Oxidative stress; Zinc