Targeting Tau

Dresden (Germany), October 9, 2025. Scientists at DZNE’s Dresden site are collaborating with colleagues at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in Barcelona, Spain to study the abnormal behavior of tau proteins observed in Alzheimer’s disease. The project is supported by the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, with DZNE receiving about 200,000 euros of the total funding. The researchers hope their findings will help devise better therapies.

Tau proteins are naturally present in neurons, where they help stabilize the cells’ internal structure. Specifically, they bind to molecular complexes known as microtubules, which serve as transport pathways for substances essential to cellular metabolism. However, in Alzheimer’s disease and several other brain disorders, tau proteins detach from the microtubules and clump together, forming tiny aggregates. Over time, this process leads to cellular dysfunctions and ultimately neuronal death. 

Breaking new ground

“Our goal is to better understand the transition of tau from a healthy to an aberrant conformation and to find ways to prevent it. To this end, we aim to replicate this situation in the laboratory using neural models derived from human stem cells. We currently lack suitable models, so we will be breaking new ground,” explains Dr. Natalia Rodriguez-Muela, a research group leader at DZNE. “In particular, we want to investigate how cellular changes that occur naturally during aging can promote tau’s pathological transition. Also, we intend to test drugs and other approaches to counteract this phenomenon. We envision that the outcomes of this project may lead to the development of improved treatments.”

These studies will leverage state-of-the-art technologies in both microcopy and cell preparation, including generation of complex cell cultures called “organoids”, and involve close collaboration with Dr. Amayra Hernández-Vega and co-workers in Barcelona. The IBEC researcher is leading the project.