Iron Metabolism Redox Balance And Neurological Diseases

With the aging of the population, the incidence rate and number of elderly nervous system diseases have increased sharply. This event has brought huge problems to society. Despite significant efforts being made to explore new treatment options and drugs, the results have been limited. The reason may be due to people's incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis of these age-related diseases. Iron is the most abundant trace element in the human body and is essential for normal life activities. Previous studies have shown that brain iron levels increase with age. The abnormal increase in brain iron levels is closely related to age-related neurological diseases. The disruption of the redox balance may be an important mechanism for the occurrence of neurological diseases caused by brain iron abnormalities. This Special Issue mainly highlights and discusses the latest research progress related to the regulation of brain iron metabolism, redox balance, and the pathogenesis of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), cerebral ischemia, cancer and maintenance of cellular stemness. The molecular mechanisms of iron-misregulation-induced redox imbalance in disease pathogenesis were analyzed. On this basis, further discussions were conducted on potential therapeutic targets for regulating iron metabolism to achieve effective intervention in elderly neurological diseases.

The role of the metals copper, zinc, magnesium, lead, manganese, mercury, lithium and aluminium in neuropsychiatric disease are well known and has been discussed on several occasions. Yet little attention has been paid to iron, the most abundant transitional metal in the body and the earth's crust. Iron plays a major role as a cofactor of numerous metabolic enzymes, it is important for DNA and protein synthesis, and has a crucial role in the oxygen carrying capacity of haemoglobin. Some of the most devastating diseases of systemic organs are associated with abnormal iron metabolism. Yet only very recently its role in the central nervous system has been considered. Thus nutritional iron defi ciency and iron overload afflict some 500-600 million people. It is also well recognized that too little or too much iron can produce profound effects on the metabolic state of the cell, and therefore the regulation of iron uptake and disposition is tightly relegated by the cell. Its transport into the cell and storage are handled by transferrin, ferritin and haemo siderin. Nowhere are these processes so well recognized as in the case of brain iron metabolism. Iron does not have ready access to the adult brain as it does to other tissues, since it does not cross the blood brain barrier (BBB). All the iron present in brain is deposited before the closure of BBB at an early age where it is sequestered and conserved. Therefore its turnover is extremely slow.

This book focuses on advances in our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of brain iron uptake, iron homeostasis and iron metabolism in the pathophysiology and pharmacology of CNS disease models. Dysregulation of brain iron homeostasis can lead to severe pathological changes in the neural system. Iron deficiency can slow down the development of the neural system and cause language and motion disorders, while iron overload is closely related to neurodegenerative diseases. Although some current books include chapters on iron metabolism and certain neurodegenerative diseases, this is the first systematic summary of the latest discoveries regarding brain iron metabolism and CNS diseases. By providing novel and thought-provoking insights into the mechanisms and physiological significance of brain iron metabolism and related diseases, the book stimulates further new research directions. It helps graduate students and researchers gain an overall picture of brain iron metabolism and the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, and also offers pharmaceutical companies inspiration for new treatment strategies for CNS diseases.

Redox-active metals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of many neurological disorders. This volume presents developments and ideas related to the pathogenic roles of redox-active metals in the neurological diseases. Contributions dealing with therapeutic interventions that are directed at countering these pathogenic mechanisms are included.

This book explores the molecular mechanisms of iron hemostasis in the brain and discusses the cognitive and behavioral implications of iron deficiency. It presents the effect of iron dysregulation on neurophysiological mechanisms. The book provides an overview of iron metabolism and homeostasis at the cellular level and its regulation at the mRNA translation level. It emphasizes the importance of iron for brain development in fetal and early life in preterm infants. Further, it presents iron metabolism as a therapeutic target for novel pharmacological treatment against neurodevelopmental diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. It discusses the role of iron deficiency in sleep disorders and offers diagnosis and treatment of iron-related CNS diseases. Finally, it relates dysregulated expression of iron-related genes in brain tumors. ​​

Iron deficiency is ever-present among all populations throughout the world irrespective of race, culture, or ethnic background. Even with the latest advances in medicine, improved nutrition, and the ready availability of cheap oral iron, there is still no satisfactory explanation for the widespread occurrence of iron deficiency or for the absence of an effective treatment. Iron Deficiency and Overload: From Biology to Clinical Medicine is an important new text that provides a timely review of the latest science concerning iron metabolism as well as practical, data-driven options to manage at-risk populations with the best accepted therapeutic nutritional interventions. Chapter topics reflect the excitement in current theoretical development and laboratory activity in this area. The distinguished authors address their presentations to professionals and graduate students who need to be better informed about the concepts, methodologies, and current status of the field. Iron Deficiency and Overload: From Biology to Clinical Medicine is an essential text that presents a sampling of the major issues in iron research, from the most basic research level to human applications.

Iron is an essential element for almost all organisms, a cofactor playing a crucial role in a number of vital functions, including oxygen transport, DNA synthesis, and respiration. However, its ability to exchange electrons renders excess iron potentially toxic, since it is capable of catalyzing the formation of highly poisonous free radicals. As a consequence, iron homeostasis is tightly controlled by sophisticated mechanisms that have been partially elucidated. Because of its biological importance, numerous disorders have been recently linked to the deregulation of iron homeostasis, which include not only the typical disorders of iron overload and deficiency but also cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. This leads iron metabolism to become an interesting therapeutic target for novel pharmacological treatments against these diseases. Several therapies are currently under development for hematological disorders, while other are being considered for different pathologies. The therapeutic targeting under study includes the hepcidin/ferroportin axis for the regulation of systemic iron homeostasis, complex cytosolic machineries for the regulation of the intracellular iron status and its association with oxidative damage, and reagents exploiting proteins of iron metabolism such as ferritin and transferrin receptor. A promising potential target is a recently described form of programmed cell death named ferroptosis, in which the role of iron is essential but not completely clarified. This Special Issue has the aim to summarize the state-of-the-art, and the latest findings published in the iron field, as well as to elucidate future directions.

Metal ions in the brain are a necessity as well as a poison. The presence of metal ions in the active sites of biological catalysts or metalloproteins and in the biological functioning of nucleic acids is very well documented and they are required for brain activity. On the other hand, metals are very effective in generating oxidative stress. This effect does not only play a role in immunology but also is the root of practically all neurodegenerative disorders by inducing disease via the death of neurons. Managing metal ions in the brain could therefore be an important strategy in the search for therapeutic agents used in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. This new title gives an overview to key topics in the area of metal ions in the brain. It focuses on the role of metal ions in neurological systems by describing their advantageous functions as well as their poisonous features. It is therefore of interest for scientists in biochemistry and biophysics, physiology, toxicology as well as for physicians focused on this topic.