Iron toxicity in diseases of aging: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and atherosclerosis.

Excess free iron generates oxidative stress that hallmarks diseases of aging. The observation that patients with Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease show a dramatic increase in their brain iron content has opened the possibility that disturbances in brain iron homeostasis may contribute to the pathogenesis of these disorders. While the reason for iron accumulation is unknown, iron localization correlates with the production of reactive oxygen species in those areas of the brain that are prone to neurodegeneration. A role for iron is also proposed in atherosclerosis, a further frequent disorder of aging. We will review experimental evidences for an involvement of iron in these diseases and discuss some mouse models with impairment in iron-related genes that may be useful to study the role of iron in these disorders.