University of Queensland researchers have discovered a new ‘seeding’ process in brain cells that could be a cause of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute dementia researcher Professor Jürgen Götz said the study revealed that tangled neurons, a hallmark sign of dementia, form in part by a cellular process that has gone astray and allows a toxic protein, tau, to leak into healthy brain cells.
“These leaks create a damaging seeding process that causes tau tangles and ultimately lead to memory loss and other impairments,” Professor Götz said.
Professor Götz said until…