Blog Post Image: How age opens the gates for Alzheimer’s

A chemical “vicious cycle” (red arrows) leads to a modification, or phosphorylation, of the protein tau — cause of the neurofibrillary tangles that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. In young neurons, this cycle is held in check by the enzyme phosphodiesterase PDE4A. With advanced age, PDE4A is lost, leading to a buildup of the damaging tau protein. Image credit: Graphic of human Alzheimer’s Disease courtesy of John Morrison and Patrick Hof