Copper in Alzheimer's disease: Implications in amyloid aggregation and neurotoxicity

The relationship of copper dyshomeostasis with neurodegenerative diseases has become evident in the last years. Because of the major role that this metal ion plays in biological processes, most of which being located in the brain, it is not surprising that changes in its distribution are closely related with the advent of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). An increasing number of works have dealt with this subject in the last years, and opened an intense debate in some points while raising new questions that still remain unanswered. This revision work puts together and discusses the latest findings and insights on how copper ions are involved in AD progression, including its interaction with A beta and its consequently induced aggregation. (C) 2015 Author(s).