Microscopy image of a neurofibrillary tangle, conformed by hyperphosphorylated tau protein

Neurofibrillary tangles are pathological protein aggregates found within neurons in cases of Alzheimer's disease. Tangles are formed by hyperphosphorylation of a microtubule-associated protein known as tau, causing it to aggregate in an insoluble form. (These aggregations of hyperphosphorylated tau protein are also referred to as PHF, or "Paired Helical Filaments"). The precise mechanism of tangle formation is not completely understood, and it is still controversial whether tangles are a primary causative factor in the disease or play a more peripheral role.

It is also believed that neurofibrillary tangles are seen in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Neurofibrillary tangles are also found in Supranuclear Palsy.

It's also related to frontotemporal dementia however without detectable {beta}-amyloid plaques.^[1]

see the link http://pathology.ouhsc.edu/DeptLabs/Alzheimer/neurofibrillary_tangles.htm

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have identified a water-soluble extract of common cinnamon that contains a class of small organic molecules that inhibit several key processes in Alzheimer?s disease. The cinnamon extract inhibits the aggregation of tau and disassembles fibers that have already formed, suggesting that neurofibrillary tangles can possibly be reversed by these compounds. The extract exhibits potent inhibitory activity, is orally available, water-soluble, non-toxic, and the bioactive molecules are likely brain permeable. The extract is readily produced in large quantities and can be encapsulated in powder form for oral administration. These properties make the cinnamon extract a highly favorable substance for development into an effective therapeutic to slow or prevent Alzheimer?s disease. ^[2]

References

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