ARUK 2018 | Tau fragments as novel disease biomarkers: a pilot study for a plasma protein signature for AD

Tau has become increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, with new research advancing our understanding of the role of tau in this condition. Here, Nigel Hooper, PhD, of the University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, discusses his group’s research into the role of tau proteolysis in the pathogenesis of tauopathies. Prof. Hooper discusses the neurotoxicity of tau fragments, and their potential use as biomarkers to identify Alzheimer’s and even discriminate between different forms of dementia. He then covers the initial results of a pilot in-human study to identify characteristic plasma protein signatures in Alzheimer’s individuals, with several proteins that have not previously been reported in relation to the disease being identified. This video was recorded at the Alzheimer’s Research UK Conference 2018, held in London, UK.