Ironing out Parkinson's disease: is therapeutic treatment with iron chelators a real possibility?

Levels of iron are increased in the brains of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients compared to age-matched controls. This has been postulated to contribute to progression of the disease via several mechanisms including exacerbation of oxidative stress, initiation of inflammatory responses and triggering of Lewy body formation. In this minireview, we examine the putative role of iron in PD and its pharmacological chelation as a prospective therapeutic for the disease.