What are the therapeutic implications of metal accumulation?
The association of accumulation of iron and other metals with HD suggests a couple of treatment strategies.
One strategy is chelation therapy. Chelation therapy is a process for removing heavy metals from the body. It works by introducing a chemical compound into the body that can bind to the unwanted heavy metal. The compound renders the unwanted metal chemically inert by binding to it and thus allows the metal to safely pass through the body without causing any further harm.
Chelation therapy could potentially be used in HD to eliminate some of the excess heavy metals that accumulate in the brain. Chelation therapy is a promising possibility for HD because chelation treatments are widely available and could easily be evaluated for efficacy in HD patients. Research is currently underway to test the efficacy of an iron chelator, M30, and a copper chelator, Coprexa, for HD.
Chelation therapy can have side effects. Most common is a burning sensation at the site where the chelating agent is delivered. Other side effects include headaches, skin irritation, nausea, fatigue, fever and cramps. Rare side effects include drops in blood pressure, kidney and liver problems, low calcium levels, and low blood cell counts. Serious side effects have a low occurrence, but the therapy should always be administered by a trained medical professional.
Another treatment strategy that combats the damaging effects of heavy metals is to target the reactive oxygen species generated by metal accumulation. Reactive oxygen species are one type of free radical. A tremendous amount of research is focused on the potential for antioxidants to combat free radicals. To learn more about free radical damage and the antioxidants that might help fight it, click here.
- A. Hepworth, 2/2/09
Further Reading:
The following readings contain greater detail, but all of them are technical and demand familiarity with scientific language.
Bartzokis, George et al. "Increased basal ganglia iron levels in Huntington disease." Archives of Neurology. 56 (1999): 567-564. A study which used magnetic resonance imaging to observe increased iron levels in the basal ganglia of HD patients.
Dexter, DT et al. "Alterations in the levels of iron, ferritin and other trace metals in Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases affecting the basal ganglia." 114 (1991): 1953-1975. Authors measured the accumulation of metals in brain tissue from patients with a variety of neurodegenerative diseases..
Fox, Jonathan H. et al. "Mechanisms of copper ion mediated Huntington's disease progression." PLoS One 3 (2007): e334. Presents evidence for copper and iron accumulation in HD.
Madhavi Thomas and Joseph Jankovic. "Neurodegenerative disease and iron storage in the brain." Current Opinion in Neurology 17 (2004): 437-442. Compares the differences in iron accumulation across neurodegenerative diseases.
Zecca, Luigi et al. "Iron, brain ageing and neurodegenerative disorders." Nature Reviews Neuroscience 5 (2004): 863-873. Comprehensive review of iron's role in neurodegenerative diseases, also summarizing iron's importance in the body and the brain.
Last Modified: 05/22/2009
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