Drug Discovery

Search for Inhibitors of Tau Aggregation

Investigator(s): Eckhard Mandelkow, Ph.D.

Institution(s): Max-Planck-Unit for Structural Molecular Biology

Duration:

Summary:

The aim of the project is to find inhibitors of the abnormal aggregation of tau protein, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. In the previous funding period several inhibitors were identified by high-throughput screening, and certain lead structures were characterized. Such compounds are expected to prevent the degeneration of nerve cells in these diseases and to preserve the mental capabilities of patients. The next steps are (1) to improve the properties of the lead structures by chemical modification using combinatorial chemistry in order to find compounds that inhibit the aggregation of tau with high efficiency (2) to establish cell models of tau-pathology that enables testing of the inhibitor compounds, and (3) to test the inhibitors in transgenic mouse models of tauopathy as a proof of concept for therapy.