Tau is a protein that helps stabilize the internal skeleton of nerve cells (neurons) in the brain
. It is predominantly found in brain cells (neurons) and serves multiple functions in healthy brain cells, including the stabilization of the internal microtubules, which help transport nutrients and other important substances from one part of the nerve cell to another
. Tau is associated with many brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, and some of the earliest damage in Alzheimer’s disease is seen in brain cells from the entorhinal cortex
. In Alzheimer’s disease, tau undergoes chemical alterations that change its properties, causing it to take on characteristics that are potentially very damaging. This form of tau no longer sticks together in the same way, instead, the fabric of connected tau proteins comes apart and reassembles in a disorganized, messy tangle that accumulates in brain cells and is not effectively disposed of through the cell’s natural processes
