Endogenous Zinc in Neurological Diseases.

Author: Jae Yong KOH ¹
Author Information

1. Department of Neurology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. jkko@amc.seoul.kr
Publication Type:Review
Keywords: Ischemia; Stroke; Alzheimer; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
MeSH: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Biology; Calcium; Ions; Iron; Ischemia; Skin Cream; Stroke; Zinc*
From:Journal of Clinical Neurology 2005;1(2):121-133
CountryRepublic of Korea
Language:English
Abstract: The use of zinc in medicinal skin cream was mentioned in Egyptian papyri from 2000 BC (for example, the Smith Papyrus), and zinc has apparently been used fairly steadily throughout Roman and modern times (for example, as the American lotion named for its zinc ore, 'Calamine'). It is, therefore, somewhat ironic that zinc is a relatively late addition to the pantheon of signal ions in biology and medicine. However, the number of biological functions, health implications and pharmacological targets that are emerging for zinc indicate that it might turn out to be 'the calcium of the twenty-first century'. Here neurobiological roles of endogenous zinc is summarized.