Neurodegeneration and Brain Iron Accumulation Genes in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

In patients with early PSP, iron deposition, rare genes for iron accumulation, and neurodegeneration were found in certain brain regions, suggesting a link.

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) has been associated with tau cytopathology, particularly in the globus pallidus (GP) and the substantia nigra (SN). Many studies have shown iron accumulation in brain regions associated with PSP, neurodegeneration, and aging. This study was the first cell type–specific in vivo evaluation of iron homeostasis and oxygen homeostasis in PSP. The investigators used post-mortem iron staining with immunolabelling on brains from 10 patients with early PSP and 8 healthy controls, with a focus on GP, SN, and putamen, which tend to accumulate tau. Iron and oxygen homeostasis were examined through mRNA transcript and protein analysis.

In the patients with early PSP, astrocytes accumulated iron, and iron deposition wa…

Reviewing Author

Michael S. Okun, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America

Speaker’s BureauMedscape/WebMD CME, Movement Disorders Society CME, American Academy of Neurology CME

RoyaltiesBooks4Patients; Demos; Cambridge; Taylor and Francis; Robert Rose; Public Affairs

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; Parkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America; University of Florida Foundation

Editorial BoardsTremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements; JAMA Neurology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesParkinson’s Foundation (Medical Advisor)