# Epitope-Specific Targeting of Tau Aggregates.

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $423,750

## Abstract

Tau immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies has advanced from proof-of-
concept studies (Sigurdsson, EM, NIH R01AG020197, 2001; Asuni AA et al, J Neurosci, 27, 2007) to clinical
trials. Because tau pathology correlates better with the degree of dementia than amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology, it is
likely that targeting tau will be more effective than clearing Aβ in the later stages of the disease, when cognitive
impairments are evident.
 Even though a few clinical trials have been initiated after confirmation and extension of the original
studies, we have a very limited understanding of the mechanisms involved in antibody-mediated clearance of
tau pathology. Some insight has been obtained on which epitopes to target and the mechanism of action but
much remains to be clarified. Interestingly, tau antibodies interact with the protein both extra- and intracellularly
but the importance of each site for tau clearance is not well defined, and is likely antibody-dependent. Some
antibodies are readily taken up into neurons whereas others are not and these differences are likely charge-
dependent. As most of tau is found intraneuronally, targeting it there is likely to be more efficacious than only
outside neurons.
 The overall hypothesis of the project is that tau antibodies can slow the progression of tau pathology in
humans. The Specific Aims are: 1) To determine how charge, isotype, affinity and size influence antibody
efficacy and to clarify the mechanisms involved, and; 2) Antibody engineering based on structural
characterization to improve efficacy and for humanization. Towards these aims, we have established
collaborations with investigators at our university, who have complementary interests and expertise.
 The project will focus on antibodies against a key tau epitope, phospho-serine 396,404, which we
targeted in our pioneering studies, and it has now been confirmed to be a feasible target by several groups.
We will study how charge, isotype, affinity and size influence the efficacy. Furthermore, we will examine how
antibody uptake and glial cells influence efficacy, assess proteomic changes associated with antibody-
mediated clearance of tau pathology to identify the pathways involved, and engineer the antibodies to clarify
mechanisms and improve efficacy.
 This program should advance our mechanistic understanding of tau immunotherapies and how those
can be improved to treat Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies, with direct relevance to various other
protein misfolding disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9930655
- **Project number:** 5R01NS077239-09
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Einar M Sigurdsson
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $423,750
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-09-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9930655

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9930655, Epitope-Specific Targeting of Tau Aggregates. (5R01NS077239-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9930655. Licensed CC0.

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