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Tau Pathology in Parkinson's Disease
Xue Zhang1, Fei Gao1, Dongdong Wang1
1Department of Immunology, Research Center on Pediatric Development and Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Beijing, China.
Frontiers in Neurology
|October 19, 2018
Summary
Tau protein, a key player in neurodegenerative diseases, is increasingly found in Parkinson
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuropathology
- Genetics
Background:
- Tau protein is central to neurodegenerative diseases, forming neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in tauopathies.
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is increasingly recognized to involve tau pathology, challenging its traditional classification.
- Evidence suggests tau aggregation and neuronal transport are implicated in PD pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the emerging role of tau pathology in Parkinson's disease.
- To explore the association between tauopathy and sporadic PD.
- To understand the contribution of tau aggregation and interaction with alpha-synuclein to PD pathology.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent studies and genome-wide association (GWA) studies.
- Analysis of tau aggregation and deposition in post-mortem PD brains.
- Examination of tau transport mechanisms and interactions with alpha-synuclein.
Main Results:
- Genome-wide association studies suggest a link between tauopathy and sporadic PD.
- Tau aggregation and deposition observed in approximately 50% of PD brains.
- Tau appears to be transported between neurons, contributing to pathology.
Conclusions:
- Tau pathology is a significant, though previously underappreciated, feature of Parkinson's disease.
- NFT formation, tau hyperphosphorylation, and tau-alpha-synuclein interactions are implicated in PD.
- These tau-related mechanisms may drive neuronal cell death and impaired axonal transport in PD.