Role of Copper in Neurodegenerative Disease like Parkinson, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity (2014)

“...7. Conclusions
Among the interesting facts regarding copper-binding proteins, we found that alpha-synuclein bound to copper acts as a ferrireductase, thus increasing the availability of iron for the generation of free radicals; this could be particularly important in the caudate/putamen vulnerable regions of the brain, because of the presence of the oxidative labile dopamine. In addition, copper-dependent ferroxidase activity of ceruloplasmin has been continuously reported to be reduced in samples from Parkinson’s disease patients. Theoretically, the decreased function of ceruloplasmin would aggravate the abovementioned situation of alpha-synuclein. Accumulation of brain iron is an event unambiguously related to the disease, but the proportion in which copper or copper proteins are responsible for iron dyshomeostasis in Parkinson’s disease is not known accurately. The role of copper transporters in Parkinson’s disease is an issue that also deserves further research. Knowledge about copper compartmentalization in brain will help to establish promissory therapeutic strategies aimed at enhancing the positive role of this metal in Parkinson’s disease...” http://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2014/147251/


Copper and Copper Proteins in Parkinson’s Disease
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Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity is a unique peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes original research and review articles dealing with the cellular and molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress in the nervous system and related organ systems in relation to aging, immune function,…