Unclumping TDP-43

Two studies published in Nature Communications have identified different features of TDP-43 that promote its aggregation in neurodegenerative disorders, and point to different therapeutic strategies for preventing or dissolving the clumps.

Aggregation of TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43; TARDBP), and the resulting loss of the protein's RNA binding functions, occur in virtually all patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as well as in subsets of patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, yet the mechanisms driving TDP-43 aggregation aren't known...