Scientists at UW-Madison have made a discovery that, if
replicated in humans, suggests a shortage of zinc may contribute to diseases
like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which have been linked to defective proteins
clumping together in the brain.
With proteins, shape is everything. The correct shape allows
some proteins to ferry atoms or molecules about a cell, others to provide
essential cellular scaffolding or identify invading bacteria for attack. When
proteins lose their shape due to high temperature or chemical damage, they stop
working and can clump together — a hallmark of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.