Treatment of Wilson's disease with alpha lipoic acid

Wilson's disease is the malfunction of the copper removing protein ATP7B. This rare, genetic disease affects the body by accumulating copper in vital organs such as the liver, brain, and eyes. There are currently two drugs on the market for this disease, but they can cost about $25,000 a month, thus forcing people to weigh the cost and possibly put a price on their life. In this experiment alpha lipoic acid, an antioxidant used as a dietary supplement, was tested under neutral and acidic conditions to see if it could bind with copper and render it insoluble. Two experiments were preformed, one with a neutral environment and one with an acidic environment. The results showed that alpha lipoic acid was best at rendering copper insoluble in the neutral environment. With further research and tests in biological systems, alpha lipoic acid could be an effective and inexpensive treatment for Wilson's disease.Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Education ProgramChemistr