Towards the prevention of potential aluminum toxic effects and an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease

• Published in: Journal of inorganic biochemistry Vol. 105; no. 11; pp. 1505 - 1512
• Main Authors: Percy, Maire E., Kruck, Theo P.A., Pogue, Aileen I., Lukiw, Walter J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-11-2011
• Subjects: Aluminum - toxicity; Alzheimer Disease - chemically induced; Alzheimer Disease - drug therapy; Alzheimer Disease - prevention & control; Alzheimer's disease; Animals; Antioxidants; Chelators; Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; Deferoxamine - therapeutic use; Environmental Exposure; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Humans; Inflammation; Oxidative stress; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Siderophores - therapeutic use; Antioxidants; Chelators; Oxidative stress; Inflammation; Aluminum toxicity; Alzheimer's disease
• ISSN: 0162-0134; 1873-3344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2011.08.001

In 1991, treatment with low dose intramuscular desferrioxamine (DFO), a trivalent chelator that can remove excessive iron and/or aluminum from the body, was reported to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by a factor of two. Twenty years later this promising trial has not been followed up and why this treatment worked still is not clear. In this critical interdisciplinary review, we provide an overview of the complexities of AD and involvement of metal ions, and revisit the neglected DFO trial. We discuss research done by us and others that is helping to explain involvement of metal ion catalyzed production of reactive oxygen species in the pathogenesis of AD, and emerging strategies for inhibition of metal-ion toxicity. Highlighted are insights to be considered in the quests to prevent potentially toxic effects of aluminum toxicity and prevention and intervention in AD.
This critical review discusses evidence and insights relevant to the prevention or alleviation of aluminum toxicity and Alzheimer's disease.
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