edited by Paolo Zatta (Director of the “Metalloproteins” Section of CNR-Institute for Biochemical Technologies, University of Padova, Italy)

Numerous studies have established a clear connection between neuronal oxidative stress and several neurodegenerative diseases, with consequential damages to lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, etc. In addition, several modifications indicative of oxidative stress have been described in association with neurons, neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease, including advanced glycation end products and free carbonyl oxidation.

Oxidative damage and antioxidant responses are now well characterized, but sources of damaging free radicals are yet to be fully understood. Evidences of alteration in metal ions metabolism have been reported in various diseases like Alzheimer's, Wilson, Menkes, Prion, Pick, Huntington disease, epilepsy and other pathological events. Thus, metal ions play a pivotal role in neurodegenerative phenomena.

Chelation therapy is still in the early days of its development, but research in this area could lead to new products that could revolutionize treatment. Two international conferences on “Metals and the Brain: From Neurochemistry to Neurodegeneration” (Padova, Italy, 2000 and Fez, Morocco, 2002) were recently held to discuss the role of metal ions in neurophysiopathology. A third will be held in 2005 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This book follows the same train of thought as those conferences, in order to highlight the unquestionable importance of metal ions in the research on the neurophysiopathology of neurodegenerative diseases. The excellent reputation of the scientists who have contributed to this project ensures the quality of the chapters presented here, and hopefully this will help spur new research initiatives in the field, which is still in its infancy.

• Metal-Catalyzed Redox Activity in Neurodegenerative Disease (M A Taddeo et al.)
• Aluminum and Central Nervous System Morphology in Hemodialysis (E Reusche)
• Transition Metals, Oxidation, Lipoproteins, and Amyloid-β: Major Players in Alzheimer's Disease (A Kontush)
• Molecular Basis of Copper Transport: Cellular and Physiological Functions of Menkes and Wilson Disease Proteins (ATP7A and ATP7B) (D R Kramer et al.)
• Copper-Zinc Superoxide Dismutase and Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (M B Yim et al.)
• Copper and Prion Disease (J Sasson & D Brown)
• Metallothioneins in Neurodegeneration (M Aschner et al.)
• Iron and Neurodegeneration (S L Grab & J R Connor)
• Iron, Neuromelanin, and α-Synuclein in Neuropathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease (K L Double et al.)
• Iron and Epilepsy (W-Y Ong et al.)
• Role of Iron Metabolism in Multiple Sclerosis (M J Kotze et al.)
• Neuroprotective Effects of Lithium (S Ermidiou-Pollet & S Pollet)
• and other articles