An enzyme-generated fragment of tau measured in serum shows an inverse correlation to cognitive function.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurological disease characterized by pathological proteolytic cleavage of tau protein, which appears to initiate death of the neurons. The objective of this study was to investigate whether a proteolytic fragment of the tau protein could serve as blood-based biomarker of cognitive function in AD.

Methods

We developed a highly sensitive ELISA assay specifically detecting an A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10)-generated fragment of tau (Tau-A). We characterized the assay in detail with to respect specificity and reactivity in healthy human serum. We used samples from the Tg4510 tau transgenic mice, which over-express the tau mutant P301L and exhibit a tauopathy with similarities to that observed in AD. We used se

SUBMITTER: Henriksen K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3661565 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature