Each day, as scientists continue to dedicate time and resources to Alzheimer’s research, our understanding of the disease grows. There is still a ways to go, but researchers have been able to identify some hallmarks in the brain that are related to Alzheimer’s disease. These have become a focus of dementia research. One up and coming area of Alzheimer’s research is studies involving tau in the brain.
Tau and its role in the brain
What exactly is tau? Tau is a protein associated with microtubules in the brain. When tau is working as it should, it helps to stabilize the microtubules within neurons in the brain. This is essential to maintain full functioning of the brain. The neural network needs to keep its shape and maintain its function for the brain to work to its full potential.
Tau tangles
So tau can be very helpful for brain function. But when it goes wrong, it can also be extremely harmful.
In certain people, tau can become too phosphorylated. When this happens, it can detach from the microtubules it is supposed to be stabilizing and clump together into what is called a tau tangle. Tau tangles occur inside neurons and can be very dangerous.
The existence of tau tangles is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Tau and Alzheimer’s disease research
Unlike some other proteins associated with Alzheimer’s, like beta-amyloid, tau has not been as widely researched. But researchers in recent years have increased their interest in targeting tau as a potential source of treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
There are a variety of approaches scientists are taking when it comes to research about tau and Alzheimer’s. Studies covering at least 6 different ways of addressing tau tangles in the brain are currently being conducted. Some focus on reducing overall levels of tau, while others target existing tau tangles, and still others try to prevent the formation of any additional tau tangles.
Below are a few of the most promising research directions that could lead to new Alzheimer’s treatments by targeting tau:
- Protein kinases inhibitors: Some research has focused on preventing the phosphorylation of tau by inhibiting certain protein kinases like CDK5 and PKA
- Antiaggregation: Some drugs directly target tau in preventing the formation of new tau tangles and dissolving already formed tangles
- Stabilization of microtubules: Some therapeutic efforts aim to stabilize microtubules pharmaceutically
- Degrading tau: Some research is looking at methods to degrade tau and decrease overall levels of tau in the brain
- Tau-immunotherapy: Methods like this involve active immunization with a phosphorylated tau epitope
- Antiinflammatory approach: Finally, an approach focused on inflammation is being looked into as a means of reducing how much tau tangles in the brain
Likely, it will not be just one of these approaches that is used to effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease. A combination of different treatments that target different targets in Alzheimer’s disease is the most likely to yield the best results.
However, the evidence being gathered recently certainly suggests that tau may play a major role in Alzheimer’s, and that targeting tau could be one key piece in developing better treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4072215/ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/in-depth/alzheimers-treatments/art-20047780
