Do reactive astrocytes help remove tau in Alzheimer's disease?
The Role of Reactive Astrocytes in the Propagation and Clearance of Tau in Alzheimer's Disease
This work looks at whether supportive brain cells called astrocytes can grab and clear toxic tau protein linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11330462 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers are using mouse models that carry human tau and viral tools (AAV) to change levels of the astrocyte protein GFAP to see how that affects tau spread. They will follow how tau moves between neurons, measure hippocampal tau accumulation, and examine whether astrocytes take up and clear pathological tau using imaging and tissue analysis. The team’s preliminary mouse data suggest that increasing GFAP in astrocytes may reduce tau-related damage, and they will test how altering GFAP changes neuron-to-neuron tau transmission. The work aims to reveal whether boosting astrocyte clearance could become a new way to slow tau spread in Alzheimer's.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: If translated to human studies, ideal participants would be people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease with suspected or confirmed tau pathology who can enroll at the research center.
Not a fit: People without tau-related Alzheimer's pathology, those with other forms of dementia, or those unable to travel to the study site are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new therapies that boost astrocyte clearance of tau to slow or reduce Alzheimer's progression.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies, including the investigators' preliminary mouse data, suggest increasing GFAP can reduce tau pathology, but this approach has not yet been tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Serrano-Pozo, Alberto — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Serrano-Pozo, Alberto
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.