Cologne, Feb. 28 -- A team of researchers from the University of Cologne has made an important contribution to understanding the role of the tau protein in Alzheimer's disease.

Using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), the international team demonstrated that a specific variant of the tau protein, known as the 1N4R isoform, mediates the harmful effects of protein clumping in human brain cells.

The study was led by Dr. Hans Zempel from the Institute of Human Genetics, who is also a group leader in the Career Advancement Program (CAP) at the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC) of the University of Cologne and University Hospital Cologne.

If a person suffers from Alzheimer's disease, certain proteins accumulate in brain...