Scientists have identified damaged brain “cleanup” cells called tanycytes as a possible reason toxic tau builds up in Alzheimer’s disease.
A buildup of the protein tau in the brain is a defining feature of Alzheimer’s disease. In a study published today (March 5) in the Cell Press journal Cell Press Blue, scientists describe a newly identified biological process that may help explain how tau accumulates. The research involved animal and cellular experiments along with analyses of human patient tissue. Results point to an important role for tanycytes, specialized brain cells that help coordinate communication between the brain and the rest of the body.
“Our findings reveal a previously underappreciated, disease-relevant role for tanycytes in neurodegeneration,” says corresponding author Vincent Prevot of INSERM in France. “Focusing on tanycyte health could be a way to improve tau clearance and limit disease progression.”
What Are Tanycytes?
Tanycytes are a type of non-neuronal brain cell mainly located in the third ventricle, a cavity within the brain. Earlier studies have shown that these cells help move metabolic signals between the bloodstream and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This fluid surrounds the brain and spinal cord and serves as an important communication channel that helps keep the body’s internal systems balanced.
How the Brain Removes Toxic Tau
The researchers wanted to understand how tanycytes help remove harmful substances such as tau to maintain brain health. Their experiments revealed that these cells transport toxic molecules from the CSF into the bloodstream, where the substances can be cleared from the body. When this transport process breaks down, tau can accumulate in the brain.
“Surprisingly, we were able to show in rodent and cellular models not only that tanycytes were indeed involved in clearing tau but also that tanycytes in the brains of human Alzheimer’s patients were fragmented and had changes in gene expression related to this shuttle function,” Prevot says.
Implications for Future Alzheimer’s Treatments
The researchers say their findings point to the possibility of developing therapies that protect brain balance and improve the removal of harmful proteins. However, they also note that targeting tanycytes as part of Alzheimer’s treatment presents several obstacles.
One challenge is the shortage of reliable animal models that accurately represent Alzheimer’s disease. Another is the need for larger patient groups and long-term studies to determine cause and effect and to clarify how problems with tanycytes may lead to tau accumulation.
“Our findings provide the first evidence for structural and functional alterations in these little-known but key brain cells in human disease,” says Prevot.
Reference: “Tanycytic degeneration impairs tau clearance and contributes to Alzheimer’s disease pathology” by Florent Sauvé, Ricardo Martinez-Gómez, Yvon Mbouamboua, Gaëtan Ternier, Sreekala Nampoothiri, Elian Dupré, Lolie Garcia, Marie Couralet, Julie Dewisme, Thibaud Lebouvier, Clément Danis, S. Rasika, Marc Dhenain, Young-Bum Kim, Philippe Ciofi, Luc Buée, Isabelle Landrieu, Florence Pasquier, Matthieu Lilamand, Claire Paquet, Paolo Giacobini, Pascal Barbry, Claude-Alain Maurage, Ruben Nogueiras, Markus Schwaninger and Vincent Prevot, 5 March 2026, Cell Press Blue.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpblue.2026.100003
This work was supported by the European Research Council, National Institutes of Health, the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, and the Fondation NRJ for Neuroscience-Institut de France.
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