Zinc

[Bernard]

I thought this was interesting even though it may not offer much practical info for now:

“We know that if there is much zinc in the cell that is not attached to protein or otherwise encapsulated — so-called ‘free zinc’ —the cell is stressed or may be undergoing programmed cell death. This has been observed in animal models of epilepsy and stroke.”

In the past, scientists could only measure the relatively high levels of zinc in sick cells. The new sensing technology can measure very low free zinc concentrations in healthy cells.

The technique uses a special protein molecule that has been re-engineered to report when zinc becomes stuck to it as a change in luminescence that can be seen in the microscope. This protein (originally found in blood cells) is very selective, recognizing tiny levels of free zinc even in the presence of the million-fold higher levels of other metals present in cells, such as calcium or magnesium.

Because proper zinc levels are so important in health and disease, scientists have been seeking ways of measuring zinc inside and outside of cells for more than a decade.

“This is an important discovery,” said Sarah B. Tegen, Ph.D., managing editor of ACS Chemical Biology. “We need to know how the body controls levels of zinc inside cells. Too much zinc can kill nerve cells. With too little, nerve cells will not work properly.

“Now we have a metal detector, technology that can measure tiny amounts of zinc in living cells. Understanding how zinc is stored and released in different cells throughout the body may help us understand some of the nerve damage that occurs during a stroke and other nerve injuries.”

A new metal detector to study human disease

 

[Shelley]

Hmmm, From the last thread I read. I was under the impression that we needed more Zinc?onder:

 

[brain]

Bernard - that's an interesting article!

Would love to see an outcome result of
that in the future!