All articles tagged with #tau
Researchers presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference that brief, wakeful CO2 bursts may stimulate the brain’s glymphatic system, aiding clearance of tau and raising blood beta-amyloid temporarily; findings from a small 12-person study also reference breath-centered practices like yoga as potential contributors, but more research is needed to determine if this could slow cognitive decline.
Researchers show that upregulating the brain protein SORLA in tauopathy mice lowers tau tangles and brain atrophy, preserves synapses and plasticity, and reduces harmful gene activity in glial cells; SORLA deficiency worsens damage, suggesting SORLA as a therapeutic target and hinting that drugs targeting plexin-B receptors could be repurposed for tau-related dementias.
Biogen defended the phase 2 Celia readout of diranersen, an antisense drug that lowers brain tau and slowed cognitive decline, noting the 60 mg dose gave the strongest clinical signal and fewer post-infusion confusions, justifying a rapid move to a phase 3. While the data did not show a clear dose-dependent response, the results—presented at AAIC in London—are viewed as proof-of-concept for tau targeting and could complement anti-amyloid therapies. Investors reacted with optimism as the stock recovered after an initial slide.
In a mid-stage Phase 2 trial, Biogen's experimental Alzheimer’s drug diranersen slowed cognitive decline to rates similar to approved therapies and reduced brain tau, a result that supports advancing to Phase 3 pending confirmation.
At TennoCon, Digital Extremes debuted Tau and its first region, Fornax, previewing Brysko and a noir-tinged expansion that doubles down on Warframe’s story over trends. The interview highlights the studio’s discipline—avoiding overnight fads, balancing content for new and veteran players, and resisting instant unlocks—to keep a 13-year-old live-service game fresh. Amid industry turmoil and layoffs elsewhere, the team says they’re grateful for their community and will stay the course, even as Tau’s full release later this year introduces new features like the Sentients’ Portau card game. Warframe’s longevity, they argue, comes from making a good game first and letting engagement follow.
Digital Extremes revealed Warframe: Tau at Tennocon 2026, a major update introducing a Blade Runner- and Sopranos-inspired open world in the Fornax/Origin System. Players follow detective Brysko through a moody, rain-soaked city with The Bloom drug, Sentients in the casino, a new card mini-game, multiple hubs, two regions, and mission types, plus a spin on the Steel Path. The update lands later this year, alongside fall content including Iceblade of Narin and other cosmetics and reworks (Citrine, Banshee deluxe skins, Qorvex).
A Texas A&M study found that alcohol interacts with Alzheimer’s-related brain changes in a pathology-dependent way: in amyloid-beta models, alcohol reduces corticostriatal signaling and disrupts microglia responses, while in tau models it increases signaling along the same circuit. This challenges the idea of a simple additive risk and suggests individual brain responses to alcohol may hinge on a person’s specific pathology and disease stage.
Researchers at the University of Utah report that Arc, a brain protein important for neuron signaling, also helps package and transmit the toxic tau protein between brain cells in Alzheimer’s models. In mice lacking Arc, neuron-to-neuron tau transmission dropped significantly, suggesting Arc could be a new target to slow disease progression. However, Arc is also vital for learning and memory, so therapies would need to block tau transport without disrupting Arc’s normal function. Most findings come from mouse studies, and it remains unclear how well this translates to humans.
Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine report that tubulin can prevent Tau and alpha-synuclein from forming toxic aggregates in brain cells by redirecting these proteins toward healthy microtubule functions, offering a potential therapeutic strategy that boosts tubulin levels rather than halting droplet formation to preserve normal neuronal activity.
A regional Martian dust storm in 2018 grew into a planet-spanning veil, blocking sunlight and starving NASA’s solar-powered Opportunity rover, which had outlasted its 90-day design by nearly 15 years. Tau, a measure of atmospheric opacity, rose to about 10.5–10.8, among the highest on Mars, leaving the rover unable to recharge and ending the mission in 2019. Curiosity continued operating on a nuclear power source, illustrating the solar-versus-nuclear trade-off. Planet-wide storms are unpredictable and irregular, and while they end some missions, rovers like Perseverance—also nuclear-powered—tend to survive in the modern era. The open question remains why some Martian years produce planet-encircling storms while others do not.”,
A human-brain study identifies six tissue domains and a pivotal transition in microglia from an amyloid-associated inflammatory state to a tau-associated antigen-presenting state; resilience against dementia arises via two routes—octogenarians who block progression and centenarians whose late microglial activation is uncoupled from tau—pointing to therapies that preserve early microglial responses or target pathways like TREM2 to delay cognitive decline.
Among 69 women aged 65+ with high genetic risk for Alzheimer’s, poorer sleep quality correlated with worse visual memory and greater tau buildup in brain regions tied to the disease, strongest in the highest-risk group. The finding is observational, not causal, and researchers will collect more data to see if improving sleep could mitigate risk.
Biogen reported that the Phase 2 CELIA trial of diranersen achieved robust reductions in CSF tau and tau pathology and showed slowing of cognitive decline across doses—most notably at 60 mg every 24 weeks—despite not meeting the primary dose-response endpoint (CDR-SB at Week 76). Safety was generally consistent with prior data, with more serious adverse events at the highest dose. Biogen plans to advance diranersen to registrational development and will present further data at AAIC 2026.
A study, largely in mice, suggests long-term EPA from fish oil can destabilize brain blood vessel walls and block repair signals after repeated mild head injuries, while promoting tau buildup. Researchers caution that the findings may not directly translate to humans and that fish oil’s effects are context-dependent, underscoring the need for more research on its risks and benefits especially for those at risk of brain trauma.
A Mayo Clinic study of 2,082 participants found two broad windows where dementia-related changes begin long before diagnosis: cognition and amyloid changes start in the 50s–60s, followed by tau changes and blood biomarkers (GFAP, NfL, p-tau) in the late 60s to early 70s, along with brain atrophy. This could enable earlier detection and screening approaches, even though no single test currently exists.