Scientists have discovered particles of copper and iron in the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s patients, a discovery that could lead to new treatments for the disease.
In an article in the journal Science Advances, researchers from Keele University and the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom found traces of the elemental forms of copper and iron in amyloid plaque, proteins that form in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
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Copper and iron are found naturally in the human body but are usually in an oxidized form. In an elemental form, the metals can produce unstable atoms, which are harmful to the brain.
Neil Telling, a professor of biomedical nanophysics at Keele University and one of the authors, said that the finding was “unexpected.”
Telling acknowledged that as of yet, it is not known if the presence of such metals is linked to Alzheimer’s disease and that there is much more to learn about how the brain processes metals.
But he also added, “Ultimately, this line of research could lead to new treatments that target metals as well as the amyloid proteins currently under consideration.”
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On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug aducanumab. It is the first drug that treats Alzheimer’s by targeting the amyloid proteins. The drug’s approval was controversial because only one study had shown aducanumab to be effective.
