Understanding the role of tau protein in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has led to new ways to diagnose it as well as the creation of medicines now in clinical trials to treat it.
Misfolding and aggregation of microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT) are core features of AD. As the neurons get sick they show characteristic changes, such as the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles, which are composed of misfolded tau protein. The accumulation of tau is closely correlated with cognitive decline in AD patients.
Yet, neurofibrillary tangles are just one piece of AD pathology and scientists have been striving to understand how nerve
