Promoting Tau Clearance in Alzheimer’s Disease
Official title: Validation of a novel tau clearance mechanism.
Funded at University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr · NIH-11373052 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to understand how tau protein is cleared from brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease and to find ways to boost that clearance to slow cognitive decline.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $700,009 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG072703-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11373052 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with Alzheimer’s disease dementia who could benefit from future tau-targeted therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without Alzheimer’s disease or without tau-related pathology may not benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
Alzheimer’s disease is driven by tau tangles inside brain cells, and clearing these tangles may help protect neurons. The researchers will study how tau is broken down by the brain’s waste disposal systems and how tau’s chemical changes influence its removal. By identifying key pathways that promote tau clearance, they hope to develop new therapeutic strategies for tauopathy. The work combines experiments in disease models to uncover mechanisms that could be targeted by future drugs for patients with AD dementia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new therapies that enhance tau clearance and slow memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that promoting tau clearance can reduce tau pathology in models, but translating this to human therapies remains ongoing.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liao, Francesca-Fang — University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
- Study coordinator: Liao, Francesca-Fang
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.