It's all in the metals.

In the wonderful frame of Cape Town, neuroscientists from all over the world met to discuss the role of metals in brain function. The day was opened by a very intriguing plenary lecture from James Connor (Penn State University). The topic of this comprehensive talk was the role of iron dyshomeostasis in neurological diseases. Dr. Connor illustrated how iron unbalance could be linked to a variety of neurological conditions. Specifically, he discussed links of iron dyshomeostasis to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Hallorvorden-Spatz disease. All these conditions are associated with iron imbalance in terms of too much iron or limitations in iron storage capacity. Intriguing new data from cell culture models were presented showing how iron can enhance oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in microglia. He also described how a mutation in the HFE gene, commonly associated with hereditary hemochromatosis and iron overload disorders, is more prevalent in AD and ALS patients. Additionally, experimental evidence on the biological consequence of carrying the HFE mutation was presented. In the final part of the lecture, Dr. Connor also described how iron deficiency could, as well, lead to neurological diseases and discussed how iron deficiency during development can be associated with a myelin deficit that promotes a long lasting cognitive and motor impairment.