New research at the University of Cambridge with PSPA funding has shown inflammation in the brain occurs in PSP. It is found in the same part of the brain as the junk protein Tau, and is related to the severity of symptoms.
The researchers mapped both the inflammation and Tau in people living with PSP, using a brain scanning technique called tomography (PET scanning). Understanding the interaction between the inflammation and the build up of harmful Tau may provide a new way in to treat and prevent PSP in the long term.
It follows the recent discovery in PSPA’s national PROSPECT study that variations in a gene controlling the inflammation affect life expectancy with PSP. This new PET study is a key piece in the jigsaw puzzle to understand the causes of PSP, and the eventual development of a cure.
Read the research paper here.
