Treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract

Use of selenate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in methods and compositions for enhancing the activity of the protein phosphatase PP2A is provided. Methods of reducing phosphorylation of tau protein, inhibiting activity of GSK3 and treating or preventing neurodegenerative diseases are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for the treatment of a tauopathy in a subject in need thereof, said method comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of selenate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, with the proviso that the pharmaceutically acceptable salt of selenate is not lithium selenate. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the tauopathy is selected from presenile dementia, senile dementia, Frontal Temporal Dementia with Parkinsonism 17, progressive subnuclear palsy, Pick's disease, primary progressive aphasia, frontotemporal dementia and corticobasal dementia. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the tauopathy is Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising the administration of another therapy for treatment of a tauopathy or a therapy for relieving the symptoms of a tauopathy. 
     
     
         5 . A method for the prevention of a tauopathy in a subject in need thereof, said method comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of selenate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the tauopathy is selected from presenile dementia, senile dementia, Frontal Temporal Dementia with Parkinsonism-17, progressive subnuclear palsy, Pick's disease, primary progressive aphasia, frontotemporal dementia and corticobasal dementia. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the tauopathy is Frontal Temporal Dementia with Parkinsonism-17. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the tauopathy is Alzheimer's disease.