Alzheimer's Progression Impacted by Tau

Contributed by: Dennis Fortier, President, Medical Care Corporation
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As scientists push forward to understand the underlying mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease, insights are emerging from many fronts. The disease is complex and the facts discerned by each new discovery must be assembled into an ever evolving theory.

This week, research conducted at the University of Washington and published in the journal PLoS Genetics, indicated a strong link between a specific genetic variant, a higher level of tau protein, and more rapid disease progression. These findings are well aligned with the tau hypothesis that abnormalities associated with tau proteins are a key driver Alzheimer's pathology.

While it is not clear how this research, if validated, will be integrated into a more comprehensive understanding of the disease, it certainly seems integral. It may lead to new treatment targets with agents that regulate tau production; it may lead to diagnostic approaches to identify patients at risk of rapid progression; and it may lead to a more generally robust understanding of the entire pathological process.
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