Iron accumulation in the brain may contribute to neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases affect tens of millions of people worldwide.

Among these, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are the most common; in the United States alone, the Alzheimer's Disease Association and Parkinson's Foundation report roughly 7 million people with Alzheimer's and another million with Parkinson's.

An intriguing clue lies in the tangled mystery of neurodegeneration that scientists are working to solve: iron accumulation. ...