Citizen / General public
Researcher
Student / Future student
Company
Public partner
Journalist
Teacher / Pupil

Using zinc isotopes to trace Alzheimer’s disease

Two Sorbonne Paris Cité University researchers, Frédéric Moynier, from the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, and Marie Le Borgne, from the Vascular Translational Research Laboratory at Bichat Hospital (UMR 1148 - INSERM), have used a specific method originally developed to study the formation of the Earth for medical purposes: the measurement of zinc (Zn) isotopic variations.

Using zinc isotopes to trace Alzheimer’s disease

© Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash

Publication date: 28/03/2017

Press, Research

MRI Brain © MART PRODUCTION on Pexel

One of the known consequences of Alzheimer’s disease is the formation of Zn-rich plaques in the brain: amyloid plaques. In this study, the researchers worked on mouse models genetically modified to develop this type of plaque after a period of 9 months. The researchers demonstrated that the presence of plaques altered the isotopic composition of the mice’s brains, which became richer in heavy Zn isotopes. This is explained by a change in the speciation of Zn, linked in the plaque proteins to amino acids enriched in heavy Zn isotopes (histidine and glutamate). As a result, it is possible to monitor the evolution of the disease by measuring the isotopic composition of Zn.

This study represents the first evidence of a change in the isotopic composition of Zn in animals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The next step will be to determine whether similar changes are observed in human patients.

Ref: F. Moynier, J. Foriel, A. Shaw, M. Le Borgne – Distribution of Zn isotopes during Alzheimer’s disease: www.geochemicalperspectivesletters.org/article1717

Latest news
Passing of Jean-Louis Le Mouël (1938–2025)
Passing of Jean-Louis Le Mouël (1938–2025)
Jean-Louis Le Mouël, former provisional administrator (1986–1991) and director of the Institut de physique du globe de Paris (1991–1996), passed away ...
Fidel Costa receives the Norman L. Bowen Award & Lecture from the AGU
Fidel Costa receives the Norman L. Bowen Award & Lecture from the AGU
On September 24, 2025, Fidel Costa was made laureate of the prestigious Norman L. Bowen Award & Lecture by the American Geophysical Union. This aw...
Frédéric Moynier receives the University of Paris Cité's medal for commitment
Frédéric Moynier receives the University of Paris Cité's medal for commitment
On Tuesday, 16 September 2025, as part of the inaugural Planetary Health Week, the Award Ceremony for Université Paris Cité’s Medals of Commitment too...
Ancient preserved heterogeneities discovered in Mars’ mantle thanks to data from the InSight mission
Ancient preserved heterogeneities discovered in Mars’ mantle thanks to data from the InSight mission
An international team led by Imperial College London, the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris / Université Paris Cité, Johns Hopkins University, th...