Two new compounds could reveal hidden drivers of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer's disease, a leading cause of dementia affecting over seven million people in the United States, remains difficult to treat despite numerous research efforts. The disease's underlying biology still eludes scientists, posing a significant challenge to developing effective therapies. Daniel Schultz, a former postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University, and his team have discovered two compounds that could help unravel the mystery of Alzheimer's disease.

The compounds, VU6083859 and VU6080195, were developed as tool compounds, which interact with specific proteins to alter their activity. TAOK-1, a protein linked to Alzheimer's disease, had previously been poorly understood due to the lack of suitable compounds for studying it. The new compound, VU6083859, selectively inhibits TAOK-1, providing a potential starting point for further research on Alzheimer's treatments.

Interestingly, VU6080195 unexpectedly activated all three proteins in the TAOK family instead of inhibiting them. This discovery opens up new avenues for exploring the neurological effects of activating TAOK proteins, which have largely been studied for their inhibitory effects. The researchers hope these compounds will encourage more scientists to investigate the TAOK protein family further, potentially leading to improved understanding of Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.