Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Neurodegenerative Diseases Associated with Mutant Tau

Public project summary

Alzheimer's disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, but currently, there is no cure (Alzheimer’s Association). To treat Alzheimer's disease, we must first fully understand the molecular mechanisms behind it and the pathological roles of the tau protein that classify diseases such as Alzheimer's disease as tauopathies. The tau protein has the normal role of attaching to and organizing microtubules, which are crucial for maintaining cell structure, transporting materials within cells, and separating chromosomes during cell division. Among other causes, mutations in the tau gene have been linked with pathological tau and the degeneration of neurons. I intend to research the effects of such mutations in a particular region of the gene, known as exon 10, on tau function and cell viability with both database and lab observational techniques.