In the News: Scientists Target Seeds of Alzheimer's Disease

In The News: Scientists Target Seeds of Alzheimer's Disease - Nicole Weatherholtz

Commentary from the ATRI team: 

We thank Sally Oxley, member of the "Friends of ATRI" for suggesting this article for In the News.

We post articles from the media regularly and add our views about the underlying science supporting claims. Also, we provide opinions about how soon any of the findings may actually be incorporated into clinical practice. 

This week the article addresses data reported by researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University, led by PRofessor Rei Kurita. 

Researchers in this study able to visualize microscopic clusters of substances that form before tau fibrils develop. Tau fibrils eventually build up into tau tangles, which are one of the 2 key components causing brain dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease (Plaques are composed of amyloid and tangles are composed of tau).

They used advanced fluorescence and x-ray techniques to observe the tau fibril precursors and test whether they could affect them. Professor Kurita's team found that they could dissolve the precursors and that in that setting tau fibrils were blocked from forming. 

Why is this important?: We know that tau neurofibrillary tangles are a major cause of the pathological processes underlying progressive dementia in Alzheimer's Disease. Current strategies in clinical trials are focused on removing tau from the brain after the disease process is underway. If it is possible to block the formation of tau fibrils, we may be able to stop the cascade of brain damage before it starts. 

What needs to happen next?: So far, this work has been done in a laboratory setting. The next steps would be to determine whether similar approaches can safely dissolve tau precursors in living animals, and eventually in humans. Then clinical trials for establishing safety and efficacy could be considered before moving into medical practice. 

Conclusion: This is promising scientific work which should be encouraged and pursued. While it's still early-stage research, it opens the door to news ways of preventing the biological changes that lead to Alzheimer's disease.