New protein linked to early-onset dementia identified

A first potential therapeutic target for a type of early-onset dementia has been established by a team of scientists, including UCL researchers. The new study, published in Nature , and led by the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, identified abnormal aggregates of a protein called TAF15 in the brains of individuals with early-onset dementia, known as frontotemporal dementia, where the cause was not previously known. In most neurodegenerative diseases, including dementias, there's a common issue where proteins aggregate to form amyloids. Researchers have previously identified the proteins that aggregate in most of these diseases, allowing them to target these proteins for diagnostic tests and treatments. However, in around 10% of cases of frontotemporal dementia, scientists had yet to identify the rogue protein. Now, a team of researchers have pinpointed aggregated structures of the protein TAF15 in these cases. The team hope that this could help provide a target for the future development of diagnostic tests and treatments.