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Tau-aggregation inhibitor therapy for Alzheimer's disease
Wischik CM, Harrington CR, Storey JM.. Biochemical pharmacology, 2013-12-19
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Many trials of drugs aimed at preventing or clearing β-amyloid pathology have failed to demonstrate efficacy in recent years and further trials continue with drugs aimed at the same targets and mechanisms. The Alzheimer neurofibrillary tangle is composed of tau and the core of its constituent filaments are made of a truncated fragment from the repeat domain of tau. This truncated tau can catalyse the conversion of normal soluble tau into aggregated oligomeric and fibrillar tau which, in turn, can spread to neighbouring neurons.
Key findings
- The Alzheimer neurofibrillary tangle is composed of tau and the core of its constituent filaments are made of a truncated fragment from the repeat domain of tau.
- This truncated tau can catalyse the conversion of normal soluble tau into aggregated oligomeric and fibrillar tau which, in turn, can spread to neighbouring neurons.
- Tau aggregation is not a late-life process and onset of Braak stage 1 peaks in people in their late 40s or early 50s.
- Tau aggregation pathology at Braak stage 1 or beyond affects 50% of the population over the age of 45.
Why it matters
This paper discusses tau aggregation as a target for Alzheimer's therapy, noting that truncated tau can convert normal tau into aggregated forms that spread to neighbouring neurons and that tau aggregation can begin in midlife. It presents a rationale for tau-aggregation inhibitor therapy but does not report a proven treatment.
Study details
- Study designclinical trial
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 44/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Biochemical pharmacology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Biochemical Pharmacology: journal h-index 292 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | Design recorded as “clinical trial”, which our rubric does not rank (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2014 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 262 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 18.7 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 17.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 27 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author John M. D. Storey: h-index 46 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Aberdeen: institution h-index 786 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 24361915) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 44 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2013.12.008
- PubMed: 24361915
- Original source →
- Free full text: Biochemical Pharmacology →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Wischik, C. M., Harrington, C. R., & Storey, J. M. (2014). Tau-aggregation inhibitor therapy for Alzheimer's disease. Biochemical pharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2013.12.008
Vancouver
Wischik CM, Harrington CR, Storey JM. Tau-aggregation inhibitor therapy for Alzheimer's disease. Biochemical pharmacology. 2014. doi:10.1016/j.bcp.2013.12.008. PMID: 24361915.
BibTeX
@article{wischik2014-24361915,
author = {Wischik, C. M. and Harrington, C. R. and Storey, J. M.},
title = {{Tau-aggregation inhibitor therapy for Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Biochemical pharmacology},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1016/j.bcp.2013.12.008},
pmid = {24361915},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2013.12.008}
}
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