Tau proteins, which stabilize cellular structure in healthy brains, become pathological when they aggregate into fibrils characterized by an ordered core surrounded by a highly disordered 'fuzzy coat.' This fuzzy coat plays a key role in molecular interactions but had remained structurally undefined due to its disorder and size.
MIT’s application of advanced NMR techniques has decoded the fuzzy coat's structure for the first time, a breakthrough that may inform drug development targeting Tau disaggregation. Understanding this coat is crucial because therapeutic molecules must penetrate it to be effective against Tau-related conditions like Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia.
Source & further reading
Chemists determine the structure of the fuzzy coat that surrounds Tau proteins ↗Source published 2026-01-14. This report was prepared with AI assistance from the linked primary-source material. Claims and limitations should be checked against the original announcement or research.