Tauopathy

Tauopathy
Diagram of a normal microtubule and one affected by tauopathy
SpecialtyNeurology Edit this on Wikidata

Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the aggregation of abnormal tau protein.[1] Hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins causes them to dissociate from microtubules and form insoluble aggregates called neurofibrillary tangles.[2] Various neuropathologic phenotypes have been described based on the anatomical regions and cell types involved as well as the unique tau isoforms making up these deposits. The designation 'primary tauopathy' is assigned to disorders where the predominant feature is the deposition of tau protein. Alternatively, diseases exhibiting tau pathologies attributed to different and varied underlying causes are termed 'secondary tauopathies'. Some neuropathologic phenotypes involving tau protein are Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal degeneration.[1]

  1. ^ a b Kovacs, Gabor G. (2018). "Tauopathies". In Gabor G. Kovacs; Irina Alafuzoff (eds.). Handbook of Clinical Neurology, volume 145. Handbook of Clinical Neurology. pp. 355–368. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-802395-2.00025-0. ISBN 978-0-12-802395-2. PMID 28987182.
  2. ^ Goedert M, Spillantini MG (May 2017). "Propagation of Tau aggregates". Molecular Brain. 10 (1): 18. doi:10.1186/s13041-017-0298-7. PMC 5450399. PMID 28558799.