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45/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 45 out of 100. Risk genes beyond APOE

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Plain-language summary

Copper and zinc play important roles in Alzheimer disease pathology with recent reports describing potential therapeutics based on modulation of metal bioavailability. We examined the ability of a range of metal bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes (MII(btsc), where M=CuII or ZnII) to increase intracellular metal levels in Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing amyloid precursor protein (APP-CHO) and the subsequent effect on extracellular levels of amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta). The CuII(btsc) complexes were engineered to be either stable to both a change in oxidation state and dissociation of metal or susceptible to intracellular reduction and dissociation of metal.

What this study adds

Evidence grade: Low

This cell study found that selective intracellular release of copper and zinc from bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes reduced levels of amyloid-beta peptide in cells overexpressing amyloid precursor protein. It is early laboratory research and does not show a treatment or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.

Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Donnelly, P. S., Caragounis, A., Du, T., Laughton, K. M., Volitakis, I., Cherny, R. A., et al. (2008). Selective intracellular release of copper and zinc ions from bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes reduces levels of Alzheimer disease amyloid-beta peptide. The Journal of biological chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m705957200

Vancouver

Donnelly PS, Caragounis A, Du T, Laughton KM, Volitakis I, Cherny RA, et al. Selective intracellular release of copper and zinc ions from bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes reduces levels of Alzheimer disease amyloid-beta peptide. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2008. doi:10.1074/jbc.m705957200. PMID: 18086681.

BibTeX

@article{donnelly2008-18086681,
  author  = {Donnelly, P. S. and Caragounis, A. and Du, T. and Laughton, K. M. and Volitakis, I. and Cherny, R. A. and Sharples, R. A. and Hill, A. F. and others},
  title   = {{Selective intracellular release of copper and zinc ions from bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes reduces levels of Alzheimer disease amyloid-beta peptide}},
  journal = {The Journal of biological chemistry},
  year    = {2008},
  doi     = {10.1074/jbc.m705957200},
  pmid    = {18086681},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m705957200}
}

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How to read this study

Design: our record does not state a study design, so check the methods section of the original before weighing the result.
Size: the record gives no participant count. Look for one in the original before trusting a pattern.
Effect: the record gives no effect size, so the summary above cannot say how large any difference was.

What the evidence grade means here

This page is graded low. alzhub.org assigns the grade automatically from keywords in the abstract, not from reading the paper. Low means the abstract matched neither pattern. It is the default label, and it does not mean the work is poor; many sound lab and imaging papers land here. It can add at most 5 of the 100 points in the study score, and it is a label about design, not a verdict on whether the findings are true.

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Key findings

We examined the ability of a range of metal bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes (MII(btsc), where M=CuII or ZnII) to increase intracellular metal levels in Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing amyloid precursor protein (APP-CHO) and the subsequent effect on extracellular levels of amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta).
The CuII(btsc) complexes were engineered to be either stable to both a change in oxidation state and dissociation of metal or susceptible to intracellular reduction and dissociation of metal.
Treatment of APP-CHO cells with stable complexes resulted in elevated levels of intracellular copper with no effect on the detected levels of Abeta.
Treatment with complexes susceptible to intracellular reduction increased intracellular copper levels but also resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in the levels of monomeric Abeta.

Why it matters

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Study details

Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 45/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Journal of biological chemistry)
Journal's citation record	4 / 4	Journal of Biological Chemistry: journal h-index 780 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	0 / 12	No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Strength of evidence	1 / 5	Rated “low” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	1 / 5	2008 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	0 / 4	Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	0 / 3	Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	5 / 7	Cited 195 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	3 / 5	9.8 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 6.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	2 / 6	Cited by 3 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 22 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Anthony Robert White: h-index 64 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	The University of Melbourne: institution h-index 1,342 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18086681)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	45 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

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