Neurodegeneration..-

Since Alois Alzheimer Described The Results Of His Postmortem Studies In 1906, Significant Strides Have Been Made In Understanding The Pathogenesis Of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Substantial Evidence Has Accumulated Indicating That Diverse Neurodegenerative Disorders Might Share A Common Pathological Mechanism: The Misfolding, Aggregation And Accumulation Of Proteins (Termed "Amyloid") In The Brain. Metal Ions Have Long Been Thought To Catalyze Protein Misfolding Initiating A Cascade Of Events Resulting In Oxidative Damage And Neurodegeneration. They Have, Consequently, Been Seen As A Suitable Pharmacological Target. However, Drugs Aimed At Simply Removing Excess Metals Or Interfering In Amyloid Deposition Were Unsuccessful And Scientists Have Been Forced To Review The Classical Hypothesis. The Latest Advances Suggest That Deficiencies In Protein Homeostasis May Lead To Cell Dysfunction And Disease. Furthermore, Small Molecules With The Potential To Control Metal Homeostasis, Or Metallostasis, Are Expected To Provide The Framework For The Design Of Novel Proteostasis Regulators.