A recent study by Cedars-Sinai investigators found abnormal proteins in the eyes of people with symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Newswise — LOS ANGELES (March 3, 2025) -- An abnormal form of the tau protein found to accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients also accumulates in the eyes of patients with the condition, according to new findings from Cedars-Sinai investigators. The study, reported in the peer-reviewed journal , presents the first evidence that abnormal tau accumulates in specialized nerve cells in the eyes of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and links this accumulation to deterioration of brain function.
“We discovered that abnormal tau proteins accumulate in retinal ganglion cells, which are key nerve cells in the eye that send information to the brain,” said , professor of Neurosurgery and Biomedical Sciences at Cedars-Sinai and senior author of the study. “We also identified a correlation between early accumulation of abnormal tau and the damage and death of retinal ganglion cells in people showing symptoms of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.”
People with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease had 46%–57% fewer retinal ganglion cells than people with normal cognition, and their retinal ganglion cells were misshapen and prone to die. Harmful tau proteins were two to three times more common in the retinal ganglion cells of these people, and the amount of tau-related damage in the retina was linked to Alzheimer’s-related damage to the brain and a decline in cognitive function, Koronyo-Hamaoui said.
Additional Cedars-Sinai Authors: Miyah R. Davis, Edward Robinson, Yosef Koronyo, Altan Rentsendorj, Bhakta P. Gaire, Nazanin Mirzaei, Alexander V. Ljubimov, Keith L. Black, Dieu-Trang Fuchs
Additional Authors: Elena Salobrar-Garcia, Rakez Kayed, Alfredo A. Sadun, Lon S. Schneider, Debra Hawes
Funding: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/the National Institute on Aging (NIA) through the following grants: R01 AG055865 and R01 AG056478 (M.K.H.), The Hertz Innovation Fund (M.K.H.), and the Gordon, Wilstein, and Saban Private Foundations (M.K.H.). Y.K., A.R., B.P.G., D.-T.F., M.K.H. are also supported, in part, by the NIH/NIA R01AG075998 grant. M.R.D. and E.R. are supported by The Ray Charles Foundation. E.S.G. is supported by José Castillejo grants for mobility stays abroad for young doctors 2023 (CAS22/00049, Ministerio de Ciencia, Investigación y Universidades) and Complutense del Amo Grants 2023, Complutense University of Madrid.
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