4R-Tau seeding activity unravels molecular subtypes in patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

The Irony of Iron: The Element with Diverse Influence on Neurodegenerative Diseases

Iron accumulation in the brain is a common feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. Its involvement spans across the main proteinopathies involving tau, amyloid-beta, alpha-synuclein, and TDP-43. Accumulating evidence supports the contribution of iron in disease pathologies, but the delineation of its pathogenic role is yet challenged by the complex involvement of iron in multiple neurotoxicity mechanisms and evidence supporting a reciprocal influence between accumulation of iron and protein pathology. Here, we review the major proteinopathy-specific observations supporting four distinct hypotheses: (1) iron deposition is a consequence of protein pathology; (2) iron promotes protein pathology; (3) iron protects from or hinders protein pathology; and (4) deposition of iron and protein pathology contribute parallelly to pathogenesis. Iron is an essential element for physiological brain function, requiring a fine balance of its levels. Understanding of disease-related iron accumulation at a more intricate and systemic level is critical for advancements in iron chelation therapies.

Phenotype parallels protein seeding capacity in neurodegenerative diseases

With the new era of disease-modifying therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, a novel approach for the molecular classification of neurodegenerative diseases is needed. In this research letter, there is a summary of the advances made in Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body disorders, and progressive supranuclear palsy toward this classification.