Fkbp52-tau interaction as a novel therapeutical target for treating the neurological disorders involving tau dysfunction

Abstract

The invention relates generally to neuroprotection and repair in neurological disorders involving Tau dysfunction (including Alzheimer's disease). The invention describes AND INCLUDES a direct interaction between proteins FKBP52 and Tau. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for screening a drug for the prevention and treatment of neurological disorders involving Tau dysfunction comprising the following steps: a) determining the ability of a candidate compound, to modulate the interaction between a Tau polypeptide and a FKBP52 polypeptide and b) selecting positively the candidate compound that modulates said interaction. The present invention finally relates to diagnostic, prognostic, and monitoring assays of neurological disorders involving Tau dysfunction.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method of treating mammalian eukaryotic cells comprising the administration to said mammalian eukaryotic cells of an effective amount of a compound which enhances the interaction between pathologic Tau and FKBP52 proteins, so as to prevent the dysfunction of Tau protein. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the dysfunction of Tau in protein mammalian eukaryotic cells, is characterized by an aggregation or accumulation of said Tau protein associated with neurological disorders from the group consisting of Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the neurological disorder is Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising performing a screening method to select the compound which comprises the steps of:
 a) determining the ability of a candidate compound to enhance the interaction between Tau and FKBP52 proteins, and   b) selecting positively the candidate compound if the candidate compound enhances said interaction.   
     
     
         15 . A method of preventing the accumulation or aggregation of Tau protein in mammalian eukaryotic cells comprising the administration to said mammalian eukaryotic cells of an effective amount of a compound which enhances the interaction between pathologic Tau and FKBP52 proteins. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to claim  5  further comprising the step of selecting said compound by performing the steps of:
 a) determining the ability of a candidate compound to enhance the interaction between Tau and FKBP52 proteins, and 
 b) selecting positively the candidate compound if the candidate compound enhances said interaction.