Drug candidate stabilizes essential transport mechanism in nerve cells
An important new Tel Aviv University study published in Molecular Psychiatry pinpoints the mechanism harnessed by the drug candidate NAP to block the formation of these harmful neurofibrillary tangles. It facilitates the interaction of Tau with microtubules, the minitubes that serve as "train tracks" for essential movement of biological material in nerve cells. "Abnormal Tau proteins form tangles that contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's disease," said Prof. Illana Gozes, who led the research for the study. "We showed here, for the first time, that the drug candidate NAP augmented microtubule movement in nerve cells. At the molecular level, NAP, a fragment of activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP), enhanced Tau-microtubule interactions that block the recruitment of Tau to the tangles observed in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders." Prof. Gozes is the incumbent of the Lily and Avraham Gildor Chair for the Investigat...