Tauopathies: classification and clinical update on neurodegenerative diseases associated with microtubule‐associated protein tau
Abstract
The majority of neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the deposition of insoluble protein in cells of the neuromuscular system. Advances in molecular neuropathology have allowed a classification system of neurodegenerative diseases based on this protein accumulation. Microtubule‐associated tau is one protein that has important functions in healthy neurons, but forms insoluble deposits in diseases now known collectively as tauopathies. Tauopathies encompass more than 20 clinicopathological entities, including Alzheimer’s disease, the most common tauopathy, progressive supranuclear palsy, Pick’s disease, corticobasal degeneration and post‐encephalitic parkinsonism. There are important clinical, pathological, biochemical and genetic similarities in the range of these diseases and they have helped to advance our understanding of the aetiological factors that initiate neurodegeneration and tau accumulation. This review examines the important clinical features of the most prevalent tauopathies and the molecular and pathological features that underpin the classification system.
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Misfolding and aberrant accumulation of Tau is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
“Misfolding and aberrant accumulation of Tau is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)18, 19.”
From Multivalent cross-linking of actin filaments and microtubules through the microtubule-associated protein Tau (2017) · cites this paper as [18]
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- Authors
- Williams, D. R.
- Affiliations
- University College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Williams, D. R.
- Venue
- Internal Medicine Journal
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2006-09-04
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 652-660
- ISSN
- 1444-0903 (ISSN-L)
- 1445-5994
- OpenAlex
- W2100359559
- Cited by
- 259
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 1.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Internal Medicine Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Keywords
- tauopathy, tau protein, neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, Pick's disease, corticobasal degeneration, postencephalitic parkinsonism, protein aggregation, molecular neuropathology, clinical features
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Humans, tau Proteins, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tauopathies
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