Tau Pathology in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract

Aggregation and cellular accumulation of tau protein is a defining feature of tauopathies, a class of histopathologically and clinically heterogeneous neurodegenerative diseases. Tauopathies include diseases as diverse as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Pick’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Tau pathology affects different cell types in various tauopathies and strongly correlates with clinical symptoms. The complexity of tau pathology and the structural diversity of tau aggregates in different tauopathies represent an active area of research in neurodegeneration. The initiation, spreading, and cellular clearance of tau pathology play important roles in the disease process of tauopathies. Spreading of tau pathology throughout the brain may underlie the progressive nature of these diseases. Understanding of mechanisms underlying the spreading of tau pathology between neurons and glial cells is essential for the development and use of emerging therapeutics and tau biomarkers. Recent biomarkers have enabled identification of the earliest stages of AD pathology and tracking the anatomical progression of tau pathology over time. An increasing number of tau-targeting therapeutics are entering clinical trials and might lead to the development of a treatment for these devastating neurodegenerative disorders.