Scientists at UCLA Health and UC San Francisco have discovered why certain brain cells are better equipped than others to withstand the buildup of tau, a toxic protein closely linked to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The findings point to biological differences that may help explain why some neurons survive longer, and they could open the door to new treatment strategies.
The research, published in the journal Cell, relied on an advanced CRISPR-based genetic screening technique in lab-grown human neurons. The goal was to map the internal systems that control how tau accumulates inside brain cells. When tau forms clumps, it damages and eventually kills neurons, contributing to conditions such as frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Tau is the most common protein known to aggregate in…