Oxidative stress and iron imbalance in Alzheimer disease: How rust became the fuss!

Abstract

The role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease has gone from epiphenomena to phenomena. This transition, from disregarded to accepted theory, started in the early-mid 1990s and was accelerated by a number of reports in the literature showing that redox-active sources of transition metals, such as iron, were increased in the brain at early stages of disease. As such, it became apparent that not only was there damage but, more importantly, the machinery to exact such damage was ever present. In this review, the author chronicles his personal perspective on the past, present, and future of oxidative stress in Alzheimer disease.