A domestic research team has revealed for the first time that tau and amyloid beta proteins, considered major causes of Alzheimer's disease, influence each other and may inhibit brain cell damage in the process. This is expected to assist in the early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on the 24th that "Professor Lim Mi-hee's research team has identified the direct interaction between the two proteins considered the cause of Alzheimer's disease at the molecular level for the first time in the world."
This research was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). The research results were published in the international journal "Nature Chemical Biology" on the 22nd.
Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the abnormal accumulation of proteins inside and outside brain cells. Amyloid beta primarily protects nerve cells, but when it exits the brain cells and forms plaques, it instead destroys nerve cells. Tau is a protein that maintains the structure of nerve cells, but when it detaches from its original location and accumulates inside the cell, it causes cognitive problems.
The research team confirmed that when some tau proteins attach to amyloid beta, the originally hard and highly toxic amyloid beta shifts to a pathway where it accumulates in a softer and less toxic form. In other words, tau can regulate the toxicity and accumulation of amyloid beta, reducing damage to brain cells.
In this study, various experimental techniques, including spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance, were combined with cell experiments to analyze in detail the structure and function of how tau and amyloid beta interact. The research team also discovered that tau proteins possess properties that mix well with water and properties that do not, and when this balance is right, they bind better with amyloid beta, enhancing the toxic regulation effect.
Professor Lim Mi-hee noted, "This is an important discovery that changes the existing understanding in that tau proteins do not simply cause disease but also perform the function of alleviating the toxicity of amyloid beta," adding, "This research will also help in finding treatment targets for other neurodegenerative diseases related to protein accumulation."
This research is expected to provide important clues for understanding the progression of Alzheimer's disease and developing new treatments and early diagnostic biomarkers. The research team plans to conduct follow-up studies that will develop treatment strategies to regulate the interaction between tau and amyloid beta and connect them to dementia prevention and treatment.
References
Nature Chemical Biology(2025), DOI: www.doi.org/10.1038/s41589-025-01987-0