Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, affecting movement, thinking, and behavior. Mostly affecting those over the age of 50, it believed that as many as one million Americans live with PD. There is no cure for this disease, and scientists are still trying to understand what is really going on. The article our class focused on this week was called “Targeting dysregulation of brain iron homeostasis in Parkinson’s disease by iron chelators.” The main focus of this article was on the role that iron plays in those with PD. It has been seen that those who suffer with PD have elevated levels of iron. We’ll have to look into a little bit of science to see why this matters.
There is a protein in our bodies called alpha-synuclein. Aggregation of this protein causes the formation of something called Lewy bodies. When Lewy bodies form, this causes a loss of dopaminergic neurons, and therefore causing a loss of dopamine released. Due to this, these Lewy bodies can cause many complicated, negative effects within the brains of those affected with PD. So how does iron fit into this picture? Scientists have seen than excess iron can may cause a buildup of alpa-synuclein. Due to this, many scientists are attempting to understand how to stop this excess iron from building up. The main way under investigation includes the use of something called an iron chelator. On the most basic terms, an iron chelator binds to iron and removes it, helping regulate these high levels of iron found in PD patients. Iron chelators, though not completely understood yet, have shown promise in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
If you’re anything like me, you don’t care as much about the scientific details, but how this pertains to our lives. Yes, understanding the details is important, but what’s more important is what we can take away from those details and how we may change our life choices to lead a happier and healthier life. As we have seen, iron accumulation is not something that we want, but unfortunately it is not something that we can completely avoid. Though reasons are still not clear, iron accumulation occurs as a function of age. Besides use of iron chelators, there has been evidence of helpful natural solutions. Green tea has been shown to contain molecules that may be helpful in regulating iron levels. Though green tea will most likely not be the cure for Parkinson’s disease, it may be helpful! Maybe even a cup or two here and there couldn’t hurt! Seeing this, reminds us once again the overall importance of eating and drinking healthy to put beneficial and not harmful chemicals into our bodies.
Oops, which kind of Iron?
