Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2024, Vol. 19 ›› Issue (3): 509-511.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.380900

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Small molecules to target tau amyloid aggregation

Zoe Manglano-Artuñedo, Samuel Peña-Díaz*, Salvador Ventura*#br#   

  1. Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
  • Online:2024-03-15 Published:2023-09-02
  • Contact: Samuel Peña-Díaz, PhD, Samuel.pdiaz@uab.cat; Salvador Ventura, PhD, Salvador.ventura@uab.cat.
  • Supported by:
    This work was funded by European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under GA 952334 (PhasAGE), by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-105017RB-I00), and by ICREA, ICREA Academia 2015, and 2020 (to SV).

Abstract: Protein aggregation has been linked with many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or Parkinson’s disease. AD belongs to a group of heterogeneous and incurable neurodegenerative disorders collectively known as tauopathies. They comprise frontotemporal dementia, Pick’s disease, or corticobasal degeneration, among others. The symptomatology varies with the specific tau protein variant involved and the affected brain region or cell type. However, they share a common neuropathological hallmark - the formation of proteinaceous deposits named neurofibrillary tangles. Neurofibrillary tangles, primarily composed of aggregated tau (Zhang et al., 2022), disrupt normal neuronal functions, leading to cell death and cognitive decline.