Copper can damage a molecule that escorts out of the brain a substance called amyloid beta that builds up in toxic quantities in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. The new findings demonstrate one way in which copper might contribute to the development of the disease, though scientists say much more research needs to be done to clarify what role, if any, copper ultimately plays.The research by neuroscientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego Nov. 3-7, 2007. The work was highlighted as part of a press conference on potential environmental influences on Alzheimer’s disease.
