Tau-er of Power

Tau protein helps nerve cells in the brain maintain their function and structure. When tau turns toxic, replicates, and spreads, neurons misfire and die. If neuroscientists can pinpoint the reasons for toxicity, identify what our author calls “a staggering number of possible modified tau states,” and find a way to block tau’s movement from cell to cell, then progress can be made in fighting any number of neurological disorders linked to this protein, including frontotemporal dementia, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and Alzheimer’s disease.