Diagnostic and therapeutic targeting of pathological tau proteins in neurodegenerative disorders

Abstract

Tauopathies, characterized by fibrillar tau accumulation in neurons and glial cells, constitute a major neuropathological category of neurodegenerative diseases. Neurofibrillary tau lesions are strongly associated with cognitive deficits in these diseases, but the causal mechanisms underlying tau‐induced neuronal dysfunction remain unresolved. Recent advances in cryo‐electron microscopy examination have revealed various core structures of tau filaments from different tauopathy patients, which can be used to classify tauopathies. In vivo visualization of tau pathology is now available using several tau positron emission tomography tracers. Among these radioprobes, PM‐PBB3 allows high‐contrast imaging of tau deposits in the brains of patients with diverse disorders and tauopathy mouse models. Selective degradation of pathological tau species by the ubiquitin‐proteasome system or autophagy machinery is a potential therapeutic strategy. Alternatively, the non‐cell‐autonomous clearance of pathological tau species through neuron–glia networks could be reinforced as a disease‐modifying treatment. In addition, the development of neuroinflammatory biomarkers is required for understanding the contribution of immunocompetent cells in the brain to preventing neurodegeneration. This review provides an overview of the current research and development of diagnostic and therapeutic agents targeting divergent tau pathologies.

Keywords

• disease‐modifying therapy
• neuroimaging
• tau filaments
• tau PET
• tauopathy