Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by intellectual decline, memory loss, and cognitive impairment.  AD is partly characterized by the intracellular deposition of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the central nervous system (CNS).  NFTs are tau filaments comprised of paired helical filaments (PHFs) and straight filaments (SFs). Tau is a major regulator of microtubules in neuronal cells; therefore these deposits pose a malignancy to normal neuronal physiology and morphology. Hence, the aim of this project is to reduce or eliminate tau filament formation in the CNS. Statin is a drug used to lower cholesterol and it has also been shown to reduce amyloid plaque formation in vivo. Here we show that statin, at a very low concentration, reduces tau filament formation in vitro, suggesting potential therapeutic drug for AD.The kinetics and morphology of ht40 tau protein polymerization with and without statin are monitored using laser light scattering (LLS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), respectively.

Effect of simvastatin on tau polymerization in vitro and in Alzheimer's disease

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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