Fluorescent Compounds Allow Clinicians to Visualize Alzheimer's Disease as It Progresses

 Tau tangles are an important marker of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease as well as non-Alzheimer’s neurodegenerative disorders.  Tau proteins aggregate together and become tangled and the amyloid beta accumulate into deposits or plaques in the brain of patients that have the disease.  Technology has been able to view the spread of amyloid beta plaques but not tau tangles until now.  Fluorescent compounds have been developed to bind to tau, called PBB’s.  Using positron emission tomography (PET) tests they can monitor the spread of tau tangles in the brain that have the PBB’s to collect information on the Alzheimer’s disease progression.  Using the fluorescent compounds the data on tau accumulation is remarkable gaining information on brain regions developing or at risk for tau-induced neuronal death.  The new development may also be helpful for treating, diagnosing, monitoring other neurological condition linked with tau tangles such as movement disorders and various types of dementias. 

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-09/cp-fca091213.php
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130918130638.htm