Exploring the Origins of Tau Pathology in the Human Brainstem Locus Ceruleus

Project Summary

Tau buildup in the brain starts somewhere, and Meaghan Morris, MD, PhD, and her colleagues will use cutting-edge molecular detection tools to characterize these origins. Tau is one of two key proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease, and its buildup inside nerve cells in the brain is linked to the cognitive symptoms of the condition and its progression.  

For this work, researchers will examine brain samples from 100 people without dementia and across a range of ages. They hope to define the time, location, and molecules involved in the earliest moments that tau starts accumulating in the Locus Ceruleus prior to spreading through the brain. By focusing on the origin story of tau accumulation and spread, they hope to offer a window into the origins of Alzheimer's disease itself.