California, Sept.12 (SANA)A new study has found a link between disruptions in brain waves during deep sleep and the accumulation of tau protein associated withAlzheimer’s disease, offering potential insight into memory decline with age.

In the study published on Friday, researchers from University of California Health and University of California San Francisco have uncovered why certain brain cells resist the toxic protein buildups associated with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, uncovering new targets for potential therapies.

In a study published in, scientists used CRISPR-based genetic screening on human stem cell-derived neurons to identify cellular mechanisms regulating tau protein—the primary driver of neuron death in neurodegenerative diseases.

The team identified a key protein complex, CRL5SOCS4, which tags tau proteins for cellular destruction. Patient brain tissue analysis confirmed that neurons with higher CRL5SOCS4 levels were significantly more resilient to tau accumulation.

The research also linked mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress to impaired cellular recycling, which forms a toxic tau fragment mirroring the NTA-tau biomarker found in Alzheimer’s patients.

While enhancing CRL5SOCS4 activity presents a promising avenue for treatment, scientists noted that further research is required before translating these discoveries into clinical therapies.