Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), share a common pathogenic feature where there is an accumulation of brain protein aggregates. In AD, tau accumulation is a key indicator of disease progression, with some characteristics of these protein aggregates resembling those seen in prion diseases. Rapid analysis of processes like tau protein trafficking is essential for studying disease progression. However, the lack of experimental models to study the toxic protein spread has made it challenging to understand the driving mechanisms. A study in Disease Models & Mechanisms introduces a new transgenic Drosophila model to monitor tau trafficking and spread in the brain. Using this model, the team identified specific genetic alterations, including knockdown of GSK-3β that impacted tau trafficking and reduced its spread. These results show that Drosophila is an appropriate model to study tau protein spread and a potentially useful tool to better understand the mechanisms behind it and identify disease therapies.
Original reference: Bankapalli, K. et al. Dis. Model. Mech. 17, dmm050858 (2024)
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