title: Tau aggregates: toxic, inert, or protective species?
abstract: Alzheimer's disease brains are characterized by extracellular aggregates of the amyloid-beta peptide and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, composed of aggregated hyperphosphorylated tau protein. The role of aggregated tau in neurodegeneration is still controversial, as evidence point to either a toxic or protective role in the disease. Here, we will first examine tau aggregation and its putative roles in Alzheimer's disease. We will then review the findings concerning different species of tau and their potential toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Medical Center, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bretteville
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Planel
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D016875:tau Proteins