Antimicrobial peptides inhibit Tau aggregation and modulates its pathology.

Alzheimer's disease is mainly caused by two proteins, Tau and Amyloid-β. While there are several cures currently being explored for it, there is no cure yet for the disease progression and prevention, but only those to alleviate the symptoms. One of the hypothesis for the cause of the Alzheimer's disease is the microbial hypothesis. This suggests that there are a lot of microorganisms present in our body which can contribute to the disease pathology by leading to symptoms such as neuroinflammation. Our body has certain molecules to maintain innate immunity, known as antimicrobial peptides. Recently, several studies suggest the roles of these molecules in the Alzheimer's disease as therapeutic molecules and as biomarkers. Amyloid beta which is one of the major proteins is suggested to be an antimicrobial peptide on its own. The formation of its oligomers and plaques is due to neuroprotective reasons. A similar theory exists for the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) from Tau. There include lactoferrin, LL-37 and defensins. They are often found in association with the aggregated proteins, amyloid beta and Tau. Additionally, fluctuations in their levels are often observed in several fluids and regions inside in patients with AD compared to the control cohorts. While their therapeutic potential has been proven, their mechanisms of action, effectivity and expedition towards clinical studies is yet to be done.