Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio increases in brain regions containing amyloid plaques (IMAGE)
Caption
Researchers developed DNA-based fluorescent sensors that can detect two different forms of iron (Fe2+ and Fe3+) at the same time in cell cultures and in brain slices from mice genetically modified to mimic Alzheimer’s (green image at right). One sensor glows green for Fe2+ and the other glows red for Fe3+. This method has for the first time shown that in the same regions of the brain where the amyloid beta plaques associated with Alzheimer’s occur (blue), there is also an increase in the ratio of Fe2+ and Fe3+.
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University of Texas at Austin
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