Copper and zinc in Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract

Introduction, The non-infectious neurodegenerative disorders, Alzheimer's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are heterogeneous with respect to etiology, neuropathology and clinical presentation. Yet, these disorders share a number of features in common to suggest some common pathogenic events. Each disorder is age related and is characterized by progressive and symmetric degeneration of discrete populations of neurons. Each disorder is associated with biochemical markers of oxidative attack, and each is associated with deposition of a CuZn metalloprotein in affected tissue.Molecular genetic analysis has linked autosomal dominant forms of AD, PD, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, res..