Novel compounds for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases: patent highlight

Summary: This application claims a series of indoles as molecules that inhibit tau phosphorylation. This approach to neurodegenerative disease is of interest because of the hypothesized role for tau in neuronal cell death. Tau is an intracellular protein that stabilizes microtubules and helps regulate their function, for example in cell division. Test compounds were studied for their ability to inhibit tau phosphorylation or inhibit α-synuclein in animals and in cell culture.