Metals in the causation and treatment of Wilson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and copper lowering therapy in medicine

It is clear that copper accumulation and toxicity is the cause of Wilson’s disease. It is also well established that zinc therapy is effective in treating Wilson’s disease by a mechanism of blocking intestinal copper absorption. An emerging hypothesis holds that ingestion of inorganic copper, such as from drinking water, plays a causal role in Alzheimer’s disease. The evidence behind this theory is discussed. There is good preliminary evidence that zinc therapy slows cognition loss in Alzheimer’s disease, either by repleting zinc in zinc deficient neurons, or by lowering the body’s free copper levels. Finally, evidence is presented on a variety of animal models and one human disease (primary biliary cirrhosis) that by lowering copper levels using a drug called tetrathiomolybdate, inflammatory fibrotic, and immune-modulated disease processes are benefitted.