Scientists from the University of Texas at Austin found that areas of the brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease also contain Fe3+ iron particles. The research was published in the journal Science Advances.
About a decade ago, scientists discovered ferroptosis, an increase in iron that leads to cell death and plays an important role in neurodegenerative diseases. In the new study, the scientists used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. They noticed that these patients tended to have high iron levels in their brains. This is consistent with previous work.
For the new study, the researchers developed DNA-based fluorescent sensors that can simultaneously detect two different forms of iron (Fe2+ and Fe3+) in cell cultures and brain parts of mice. One sensor lights green for Fe2+ and the other lights red for Fe3+. As scientists have discovered, it is Fe3+ that accumulates in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease. This discovery could potentially help find drugs that change the ratio of Fe3+ to Fe2+, which could help protect brain cells.