There is a protein inhibitor that indirectly reduces the level of tau in the brain and this could be an important development in the world of Alzheimer’s care.
Tau is a protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease because it accumulates in nerve endings and can damage memory functions, according to a group of neuroscientists at the University of South Florida (USF).
Hsp70 is considered a chaperone protein because it controls the tau levels in nerve cells. If Hsp70 can be controlled, it is possible that tau can be controlled too.
"Now that we’ve discovered that targeting the chaperone protein Hsp70 can clear tau, it could be helpful in finding more effective drugs for Alzheimer’s disease," said Dr. Chad Dickey of USF. "The therapeutic strategy may also be applicable to other neurodegenerative diseases involving Hsp70, such as Huntington disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and some cancers."
Tau is supposed to simply support the structure of nerve cells, but the protein can evidently do harm too. The research that led to this discovery was performed on brain tissue taken from mice.
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