Alzheimer’s: Role Of Key Protein Discovered

New Delhi: Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the role of the tau protein in Alzheimer’s disease.

Using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), a research team at the University of Cologne in Germany has been able to show that a specific form of the tau protein, known as the 1N4R isoform, is responsible for mediating the toxic effects of protein clumps in human brain cells.

The study, published in the Alzheimer’s & Dementia journal, was led by Dr Hans Zempel from the Institute of Human Genetics, who is also a group leader in the Career Advancement Program (CAP) at the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC) of the University of Cologne and University Hospital Cologne.