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Tau Spreading Mechanism

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Tau Spreading Mechanism

Overview

Tau spreading refers to the progressive intercellular transmission of pathologically misfolded [tau protein](/proteins/tau) in Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies[@hyman2014][@clavaguera2009]. This mechanism underlies the stereotypical pattern of neurofibrillary tangle deposition described by Braak staging and represents a key therapeutic target for disease modification. The prion-like propagation of tau represents one of the most significant discoveries in neurodegenerative disease research in recent decades, fundamentally shifting our understanding of how protein misfolding disorders progress through the brain[@jucker2013][@goedert2015].

The concept of tau spreading emerged from groundbreaking experiments demonstrating that pathological tau aggregates could be transmitted from affected to unaffected [neurons](/entities/neurons), propagating pathology along connected neural circuits[@frost2009]. This observation provided a mechanistic explanation for the predictable staging of tau pathology observed in postmortem brain studies and opened new avenues for understanding disease progression and therapeutic intervention[@braak1991].

Pathway / Mechanism Diagram


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