Insights into familial middle-age dementia suggest new avenues for treatment

(Tokyo Medical and Dental University) Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a common cause of hereditary dementia, but the molecular events driving the disease are poorly understood. Researchers centered at Tokyo Medical and Dental University(TMDU) developed a mouse model to study a form of FTLD linked to mutations in the PGRN gene (FTLD-TDP). The team discovered that tau protein phosphorylation is a key early event in the pathology of FTLD-TDP, and identified key players in tau phosphorylation that represent potential therapeutic targets.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news