The accumulation of copper in the brain may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, suggests a new study. With these results, Alzheimer’s is increasingly becoming an environmental disease.
In senile plaques of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, there is iron or zinc. Aluminum has also been questioned for a time. And very recently, it is the role of copper in the formation of these plates that has been the subject of scientific publications. The environmental origin of Alzheimer’s disease is therefore no longer in doubt. Especially since the heavy metals that we absorb every day, especially through our diet, are not the only environmental factors on the dock.
According to a study published in July 2011 and presented at the international conference of the Alzheimer’s association, nearly half of Alzheimer’s cases are due to lifestyle: 19% of cases could be favored by the low level of education, 14% for smoking, 13% for inactivity, 11% for depression, 5% for hypertension, 2% for obesity and 2% more for diabetes. Even if the cause and effect link between these risk factors and Alzheimer’s disease has not been formally established, it is clear that genetic susceptibility does not explain everything.
Listen to Prof. Philippe Amouyel, researcher at the Institut Pasteur de Lille and director of the Plan Alzheimer Foundation: “Twin studies tend to show that Alzheimer’s disease is linked to individual susceptibilities.”
However, our environment could prove to be as dangerous as it is protective. And especially with regard to copper since its role in Alzheimer’s disease is debated. Two recent studies have shown that like other heavy metals, the concentration of copper in the body is indeed involved in Alzheimer’s disease.
“In fact, for the past few years,” explains Prof. Philippe Amouyel, researcher at the Institut Pasteur de Lille and director of the Plan Alzheimer Foundation, “we know that the mechanism at the origin of Alzheimer’s disease is to say the precipitation of the beta-amyloid proteins which will form in the long run the senile plaques, is controlled in particular by metals, and in particular copper. A team of researchers therefore wanted to know what was the optimal concentration of copper to ensure this precipitation or reduce it. The results of this work, published last February in Nature, seem to indicate that copper protects the brain from the precipitation of the beta-amyloid protein, in its toxic form, which causes Alzheimer’s disease.
Listen to Prof. Philippe Amouyel : “Copper would have a beneficial effect depending on its concentration. But these are results from experiments in test tubes.”
However, the direct link between copper and Alzheimer’s remains to be demonstrated in animals and humans. This is why researchers have followed this lead and conducted studies in mice. Their study, which has just been published in PNAS, the journal of the American National Academy of Sciences, shows “that over time the cumulative effect of copper affects the system allowing the elimination of beta-amyloid protein from the brain, which is toxic and plays a key role in Alzheimer’s disease, ”says Dr. Rashid Deane, lead author of the study.
Listen to Prof. Philippe Amouyel : “According to this latest study, in a patient already suffering from the disease, it would be interesting to reduce the concentration of copper in the plasma to facilitate the elimination of the beta-amyloid protein.”
These preliminary results do not yet allow to say whether it is necessary to eliminate or on the contrary to bring more copper to the individuals. “But, for Professor Philippe Amouyel, these results open the door to something simple, ie the intake or removal of copper, which could have an impact on Alzheimer’s disease. “
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