A Brief Overview of Pathological Tau and Inhibitors and Modifiers of Tau Aggregation for Treatment of Tauopathies

Abstract

Tauopathies make up a significant portion of neurodegenerative diseases, affecting tens of millions of people. Tauopathies are defined by abnormal tau protein aggregation. Current approaches to tauopathy inhibition and therapeutic development require an in-depth understanding of post-translational modifications and propagation of pathological tau. Research thus far has produced a variety of inhibiting and mitigating compounds to alleviate tau aggregation. These compounds employ distinct mechanisms, including: kinase-, enzyme-, and secretion-inhibition, direct aggregation inhibition, and upregulation of cellular degradation systems. Overall, the current progress and ongoing research in the development of tauopathy therapeutics has potential, while also highlighting some crucial unknowns in the field that warrant further investigation.