Copper pipes could cause Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, finds study

COPPER pipes really could be the cause of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, according to a new study.

Researchers have found the metal causes proteins in the brain to fold abnormally, leading to brain damage and symptoms of disease.

This copper-induced misfolding is associated with inflammation and damage to nerve cells in brain tissue from mice.

Abnormal folding leads to brain damage and degenerative disease.

It is similar to that observed in disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Researchers at Iowa State University in America said their study established a direct link between copper exposure and malfunctioning proteins in the brain.

Research methods included a technique that identified misfolded prion proteins down to a single molecule and determined the role of metal ions.

This showed misfolding begins when copper ions bind to the unstructured tail of the prion protein.

Another technique showed that misfolded prion proteins stick together nearly 900 times more efficiently than properly folded proteins.

The results from all the methods identified the biophysical conditions and mechanisms for copper-induced prion protein misfolding, clumping and neurotoxicity.

But author Prof Sanjeevi Sivasankar said the study did not directly address the prion diseases in terms of infection.

But he claimed that it has the potential to transform future research.

He added: “Although we do not show that the strains generated in our experiments are infectious, we do prove that copper ions trigger misfolding of prion proteins which causes toxicity in nerve cells.

The research groups plan to perform additional studies to determine if the copper-induced misfolding causes disease.

“This study has major implications to our understanding the role of metals in protein misfolding diseases including prion, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”