Investigating novel approaches to linear epitope mapping; biophysical characterization of tau protein and its interactions with anti-tau antibodies

Intraneuronal filamentous lesions which are characteristic for Alzheimer´s disease, the so called neurofibrillary tangles (NFT´s), are misfolded beta-sheet like aggregates of tau protein. Their presence is closely linked to neurodegeneration and progression of the disease. Tau protein has been investigated as a promising target for therapeutic intervention of AD. Several monoclonal antibodies specific to tau protein were previously identified and recovered from human blood serum. As potential candidates for development of biopharmaceuticals, the anti-tau antibodies and their interactions with tau epitopes are to be investigated in detail. This work aims to develop novel methods for linear epitope mapping and to characterize binding sites of identified anti-tau antibodies on tau protein