Plant metal chaperones: a novel perspective in dementia therapy.

Dys-homeostasis of copper metabolism and oxidative stress are major hallmarks in the brains of Alzheimer patients. Therefore, metal bioavailability and mechanisms of copper ion homeostasis throughout the body are crucial and potential targets for therapeutic agents. Many of the medications used or suggested, respectively, at present time, may either be toxic, reveal a lack of specificity or have unknown mechanisms of action in vivo. Metal chaperones from medicinal plants are proposed as medications that are relatively free from these disadvantages. Furthermore, these agents are a promising class of molecules for studies aimed at developing innovative and etiological treatments for protein-misfolding diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease.