Study advances understanding of mixed protein pathologies in dementia

The aging brain frequently harbors multiple protein pathologies that contribute to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases. But how do these problematic proteins interact with each other, and could these interactions inform future therapies?

Researchers at TGen, part of City of Hope, are answering some of these questions with the help of a unique mouse model that combines different mixtures of dementia-related proteins including amyloid-beta, alpha-synuclein and tau.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative dementia. It's defined by two main types of brain changes: amyloid plaques and tau tangles. But other changes can also appear, including alpha‑synuclein. Alpha‑synuclein can show up alongside Alzheimer's disease, or it can be the main feature in conditions like Lewy body dementia or mixed‑pathology dementia."

John Fryer, Ph.D., inaugural director of TGen's Center for Accelerated Nanotherapeutics and senior author of the study