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Stanford University School of Medicine stories

Aug 6, 2026

Stanford and UCSF researchers discover tau protein infiltrates mitochondria, disrupting energy production in Alzheimer's disease

Scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine and University of California, San Francisco have identified a novel toxic mechanism in which hyperphosphorylated tau protein enters nerve cell mitochondria and reverses electron flow, potentially driving Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative tauopathies.

Aug 6, 2026·7 sources
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Top claims

  • ▪The newly discovered mitochondrial pathway of tau is entirely independent of both neurofibrillary-tangle formation and microtubule instability.
  • ▪Reverse electron transport is activated under stress and is generally absent or occurring at very low levels in healthy, unstressed cells.
  • ▪An experimental drug called CPT prevents hyperphosphorylated tau from binding to NDUFS3, blocking reverse electron transport without impairing normal electron flow.

Topics

NeuroplasticityBrain health & dementia researchersAlzheimer’s & dementiaMitochondrial dysfunction

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