Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News: Tau Tangles Cleared by Senolytic Drugs in Alzheimer’s Mice
Posted on: Thursday, August 23rd, 2018
Tangles of tau protein in the brain constitute a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, but exactly how these tangles exert their toxic effects remains poorly understood. In hopes of untangling tau’s mysteries, scientists based at the UT Health San Antonio delved into postmortem brain tissue from Alzheimer’s patients and generated transcriptomic profiles. These profiles revealed expression profiles consistent with cellular senescence, a kind of stressed state that allows cells to survive, albeit in a zombie-like and proinflammatory state.
Using mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease, the UT Health scientists further explored the possibility that tau and senescence are linked. The scientists found that senolytic drugs, which target and kill senescent cells, helped clear tau protein tangles. Moreover, the drugs slowed neuronal loss, suggesting that the curbing of cell senescence could be a way to treat Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions.
To read the full article, visit the Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News website.