Way back in 1993, I was honored and quite overwhelmed by an invitation to attend a meeting with representatives of the World Health Organization, and thus became a member of what would later be referred to as the "First Unofficial Advisory Board on the Control and Prevention of Hemochromatosis." We met at Kyriat Anavim in Israel, and this meeting was followed by the first " BioIron" conference in Jerusalem, where experts from around the world gathered to present papers and answer questions. After this, fired with enthusiasm, I could not wait to get back to Canada and share with the Board and members of the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society all that I had learned. This would have to be postponed however, as, before I could leave the airport in Telaviv, I received bad news about a seriously ill, close relative in South Africa, and ended up in Johannesburg instead of Vancouver.
That is how it came about that the first newsletter of the International Association of Hemochromatosis Societies was written in, and circulated from, South Africa, and now, paging through a copy of that 17-year-old the document — in which I reported what I had heard Professor Laurie Powell of Austrlia say concerning "iron in the brain of Parkinson's patient," and the problem of its being behind the "blood-brain barrier," from where it could not be chelated — has me agonizing again and again about the snail's pace of progress.
It has long been known that iron can indeed accumulate in the brain. As far back as 1989, the late Dr. Leslie Valberg and others of the University of Western Ontario published an article on Abnormalities in Iron Metabolism in Multiple Sclerosis (Can J. Neurol.Sci, 16: 184 - 186). It is also commonly known that there is iron in the brains of Parkinson’s patients.
I have personally written reams about the effects of high iron stores on and in the brain, and this information appeared in both the IAHS newsletter in Johannesburg, and later was also published in the newsletter of the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society, in the August of 1993:
On November 21, 2009, I noted: Big news! I am drowning in emails from people advising me that, today, there is to be a special program on the Canadian CTV channel literally about “iron on the brain!” I’ve had to take my phone off the hook!
Six years after Oct. 22, 2003 when "Multiple Sclerosis Tied to Iron in Brain — Studies Point to Cause, Location of MS Brain Damage," was the heading of an article by Doctor Daniel J. DeNoon, published in WebMD Health News.
Article comments
1 - Basil K.
Thank you for elucidating so much of what s was beyond me until now.
With HH in the family, we look forward to more postings.
2 - Sandy
So that's how it works! I have been wondering about this. Thanks for this article and also for all the others you contribute. Loved the one about your mother and the "air ace".
3 - tracy martin
the doctors in scotland thought i had copper on my brain so in a week 3 june i have to go in to hospital to have a part of my liver taken but that is the last resort for me if they find no copper then i havve to go to london to see an iron on the brain specilte i have had sypmtoms like first my speech started to slurr then i realised that my hands were,nt working that well next my balance went i have been told that this is a rare condition and they my be no cure can somebody please try and give me these answer to my questions cause i im seriously worryed about my out come thank for your time in reading this message tracy
4 - tracy martin
i have now had the results of my liver and now they are telling me it looks like iron on the brain instead of copper wilsons disease. now they are telling me that i have to go to london to see i guy [doctor]. in this type of disored and if it is there is know cure it is a really rare condition and alot of doctors know nothing about it but my doctor has been looking up on it.
5 - Elizabeth
There has just been an important conference in Italy by the ISNVD. Abstracts here
Interestingly research released last week shows people with MS have a high incidence of being homozygous for FPN1 8GG, Ferroportin, Type IV hemochromatosis, amongst other iron genes noted. Makes sense, ferroportin is the iron exporter.
6 - Improvethememory
Great article, I had no idea about this, how iron can be accumulated in the brain. There is somuch we have to learn about oruselves and our brain. Is a huge system we will never stop learning from it!
Great article!!
7 - Marie Warder
For Elizabeth. Thank you for the valuable info you posted in March. For reasons that would take up too much space to provide here,I have only just read what you wrote.
Posting #6.Thank you for your kind remarks.