Glutathione, Iron and Parkinson's Disease
 (Buck Institute For Age Research, Novato, CA, PubMed, Sept. 2002 )

Parkinson's disease (PD) involves the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons located in the midbrain. The death of neurons in the brains of PD patients has been linked to oxidative stress, possible iron accumulation and a severe drop in cytoplasmic levels of glutathione (GSH), which normally acts as an antioxidant and a redox regulator. Glutathione depletion and the associated oxidative damage might also contribute to the aggregation of abnormal proteins, which can cause further cell death. Now scientists are theorizing that replenishing brain levels of GSH may prevent or reverse the effects of the disease.