Aluminum and Neurodegenerative Disorders

<jats:p>Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust and a potent environmental contaminant. Aluminum accumulates progressively in the brain and is implicated in the pathogenesis of several major neurodegenerative disorders. This chapter explores mechanistic data, epidemiological evidence, and neurological findings to understand the role of aluminum in neurodegenerative disorders. At the mechanistic level, aluminum is neurotoxic through a convergence of pathways: induction of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and inflammasome engagement; thus, promoting amyloid-β fibrilization and hyperphosphorylation of tau; α-synuclein aggregation; impaired ubiquitin-proteasome system; blood-brain barrier disruption and dysregulation of epigenetics of neuroprotective gene expression. The chapter highlights the therapeutic strategies, including chelation, phytochemical neuroprotection, and silicon enrichment. In conclusion, evidence-based regulatory and research promotion, and further reputable studies on the role of aluminum in neurodegenerative disorders are necessary.</jats:p>