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Harmful protein build predicts brain tissue damage in Alzheimer’s disease, the study finds

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A new study from the University of San Francisco has shown that levels of tau protein in the brain were predictive of future degeneration compared to amyloid proteins in Alzheimer

The build-up of a harmful protein in the brain can predict atrophy in patients with Alzheimer’s disease at least one year in advance.

Previous studies have shown that two significant plaques, amyloid beta and tau, form lumps that throttle and destroy neurons.

But researchers discovered that only accumulation of the tau protein was indicative of where damage would occur as Alzheimer’s disease progressed.

The team, from the Memory and Aging Center at the University of San Francisco, says the findings shed new light on age-related brain disease and that drugs can prevent neurodegeneration or that scans predicting future atrophy can lead to personalized dementia care.

A new study from the University of San Francisco has shown that levels of tau protein in the brain were predictive of future degeneration compared to amyloid proteins in Alzheimer's patients (file image)

A new study from the University of San Francisco has shown that levels of tau protein in the brain were predictive of future degeneration compared to amyloid proteins in Alzheimer’s patients (file image)

“No one doubts that amyloid plays a role in Alzheimer’s,” said lead author Dr. Renaud La Joie, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of San Francisco.

“But more and more tau findings are starting to change how people think about what actually drives the disease.”

It is estimated that around 44 million people worldwide – including 5.7 million Americans of all ages – live with Alzheimer’s disease.

The progressive brain disorder slowly destroys memory, thinking skills and the ability to perform simple tasks.

There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s, but experts suggest that exercise, social interaction, and adding brain-stimulating omega-3 fats to your diet can delay the onset of symptoms.

Such symptoms can be disorientation, difficulty remembering newly learned information, and suspicion about family and friends.

Scientists have argued for years about the importance of amyloid beta proteins and tau proteins, which were discovered in the early 20th century.

Countless medicines have been produced that try to combat amyloid, with mixed or few results.

This has led researchers to look at tau – which was once seen as just an indication of where brain cells died – to see if this protein actually drives the disease.

For the study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the team recruited 32 people with Alzheimer’s disease at an early stage.

HOW TO DETECT ALZHEIMER’S

Signs and symptoms:

  • Difficulty remembering newly learned information
  • Disorientation
  • Mood and behavioral changes
  • Suspicion about family, friends and professional caregivers
  • More serious memory loss
  • Difficulties with speaking, swallowing and walking

Stages of Alzheimer’s:

  • Mild Alzheimer’s (early stage) – A person may function independently, but has memory impairment
  • Moderate Alzheimer’s (middle stage) – Usually the longest stage, the person can confuse words, become frustrated or angry or have sudden behavioral changes
  • Severe Alzheimer’s disease (late stage) – In the final stage, individuals lose the ability to respond to their environment, have a conversation, and ultimately control movement

All participants received PET scans, which evaluate organ and tissue functions, with two separate tracers to measure the levels of amyloid and tau in their brains.

The results showed that tau levels in the brain at the start of the study indicated how much degeneration would occur in the course of a year.

Moreover, tau build-up in the brain predicted atrophy in that area with an accuracy of more than 40 percent.

For comparison: the build-up of amyloids only predicted degeneration in the area where clumps were with only three percent accuracy.

The team said the results showed that tau is an important driver for brain degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.

“The match between the spread of tau and what happened to the brain in the following year was really striking,” said Dr. Gil Rabinovici, a neurologist and leader of the PET imaging program at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center.

“Tau PET imaging not only predicted how much atrophy we would see, but also where it would happen”

In addition, scans showed that younger participants had higher levels of tau and subsequent brain degeneration than the older participants.

This may mean that other circumstances, such as blood vessel damage, are factors in the late phase of Alzheimer’s.

Researchers say the findings offer hope that tau protein-targeted drugs can block the plaque to cause brain trophy.

The results may also mean that tau PET scans that predict neurodegeneration can lead to individualized dementia care in patients.

“One of the first things people want to know when they are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease is simply what the future holds for themselves or their loved ones,” said Dr. Rabinovici.

“Will it be a slow blurring of memory or a rapid decline in dementia? How long can the patient live independently? Will they lose the ability to speak or walk around independently?

‘These are questions that we cannot currently answer, except in the most general terms. Now this tool would allow us for the first time to give patients an idea of ​​what they can expect by revealing the biological process underlying their disease. ”

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