- Severity of neurodegeneration correlates with compromise of iron metabolism in mice with iron regulatory protein deficiencies. Smith, S.R., Cooperman, S., Lavaute, T., Tresser, N., Ghosh, M., Meyron-Holtz, E., Land, W., Ollivierre, H., Jortner, B., Switzer, R., Messing, A., Rouault, T.A. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. (2004)