A University of Pittsburgh researcher has identified and developed a collection of antibodies against tau protein antigens in humans. These antibodies could be used to develop a blood test or other diagnostic test for tauopathies like Alzheimer’s disease. The development of accurate and useable biomarkers for tauopathies could not only improve diagnosis but could also aid the development of treatments capable of alleviating tauopathies.
Description
Tau proteins play a vital role in healthy nerve cells and abnormalities are linked to neurodegenerative conditions referred to as tauopathies. Currently largely untreatable, the gold standard for diagnosis is postmortem through autopsy, which impacts on the diagnosis of living patients. Additionally, failure to fully understand the progression of these diseases with treatment has hindered research. There remains an unmet need for reliable biomarkers and associated biopsy testing procedures to safely and accurately diagnose tauopathies early, before symptoms develop. The discovery of these antibodies against various tau antigens holds much promise for the development of diagnostic tests and, with time, could aid the development of new treatments for tauopathies.
Applications
• Tauopathies
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Frontotemporal dementia
Advantages
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and positron emission tomography (PET) can be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. They are not widely accessible, can be costly and invasive, and are only reliable after the disease has progressed. All these shortcomings restrict their use in routine diagnosis of clinical trials. Developing a blood test that could detect early development of the disease would allow clinicians to recognize individuals most likely to develop tauopathies and better understand their response to treatment approaches.
The development of antibodies to phosphorylated tau proteins provides a novel strategy to develop blood tests for tauopathies. These antibodies have been found to respond to newly discovered unique sites on tau proteins while others target generic sites with comparative antibodies available on the market. Optimization of lab protocols could enable the development of testing panels that could diagnose various tauopathies with a high level of accuracy.
Invention Readiness
Currently, 106 antibodies have been identified targeting 16 different tau antigens. In vitro testing of plasma and CSF using antibodies to detect tau phosphorylated at threonine-181 (p-tau181) and threonine-217 (p-tau217) demonstrated a high level of accuracy in predicting both the presence and progression of AD when compared to PET scans in a large cohort of AD patients. Of note, was the observance of elevated levels of plasma p-tau181 in patients with clinical AD but lack the presence of A in PET scans suggesting this approach could detect AD long before PET scans and confirm clinical diagnosis. Additionally, these biomarkers could distinguish AD from other tauopathies.
IP Status
Patent Pending
