How the tau protein is handled and cleared in the brain
Project 1: Tau metabolism: molecular chaperones, targeting and proteolysis
Looking at how brain cells manage and remove the tau protein to help people with Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11167677 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will map the steps that control tau protein folding, tagging, and breakdown, including both normal and disease-linked (mutant) forms of tau. They will study how tau interacts with molecular chaperones, how chemical tags on tau direct it to the proteasome or lysosome, and how efficiently different forms of tau are proteolyzed. Work will combine cellular and molecular lab models with genetic information and human-derived samples from the Center network. The aim is a comprehensive picture of tau metabolism that can reveal points where therapies might improve tau clearance.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Alzheimer’s disease or frontotemporal dementia, and individuals with known MAPT (tau) gene mutations, would be the most directly relevant patients.
Not a fit: Patients whose symptoms are caused by non-tau conditions (for example primarily vascular dementia or synuclein disorders like Parkinson’s disease) are less likely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify new targets to help clear tau and potentially slow cognitive and behavioral decline in Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia.
How similar studies have performed: Many laboratory and animal studies have revealed parts of tau biology but translating those findings into effective patient therapies has not yet been achieved, so this project builds on known insights while aiming for broader synthesis.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kao, Aimee — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Kao, Aimee
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.