Stopping tau propagation by receptor-mediated synaptic proteolysis

Tau protein normally functions to help support nerve cell structure and transport nutrients within the cell. In Alzheimer's, tau protein can become abnormally modified and clump into'tangles'; in the brain, one of the characteristic features of the disease. Recent evidence suggests that abnormal tau protein can move from one nerve cell to another, possibly contributing to the progression of brain changes associated with Alzheimer's. In previous experiments, Natura Myeku, Ph.D. and colleagues found that as abnormal tau moves throughout the brain, it interferes with the function of special structures called'proteasomes'; which break down and clear damaged or abnormal proteins from nerve cells. More research is needed to understand if the effects of tau on proteasome function contribute to abnormal brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease.